Tom Thibodeau Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Johnson, Saric, Cousins, Taylor

April 24th, 2016 at 9:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

It cost Joe Johnson $2,585,519 to get into this year’s playoffs, as Andrew Keh of The New York Times examines. That’s $3MM, the amount Johnson gave up when he negotiated a buyout from the Nets in late February, minus the $414,481 he’s making on the contract he signed with the Heat, who currently hold a 2-1 advantage in their series with the Hornets. “This is what I was looking forward to,” said Johnson, who was immediately inserted into Miami’s starting lineup and averaged 13.4 points per game after the move. Johnson’s coaches and teammates appreciate the versatility and decision-making skills he has added to the Heat’s offense. “Joe has brought an offensive threat that we haven’t had,” Amar’e Stoudemire said. “His pick-and-roll offense is something that’s hard to guard because he’s great at keeping guys on his back and creating two-on-one-type situations for us.”

There’s more news tonight from around the world of basketball:

Croatian star Dario Saric has reportedly told teammates that he will leave Europe and head to Philadelphia over the offseason, tweets international journalist David Pick. The Sixers acquired his rights in a 2014 draft-night trade with the Magic.
The Kings‘ best strategy is to rebuild around center DeMarcus Cousins, ABC analyst Jalen Rose told Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. People within the Kings organization reportedly sense that GM Vlade Divac is willing to gauge the trade market for Cousins after another nonplayoff season and repeated discipline problems. “You can’t deal him,” Rose said. “He’s been an All-Star player, one of the top bigs in the game. You have to build around him.” Rose went through the Kings’ recent draft and personnel missteps before turning his attention to the team’s coaching vacancy. “The situation definitely needs an overhaul,” he said, “and it’s hard to say who would be a really good coach because I think they’ve gone through 10 in the last nine years, or something like that.” Sacramento has had eight coaches since the start of the 2006/07 season.
Wolves owner Glen Taylor moved quickly to get the leaders he wanted, notes Jerry Zgoda of The Star-Tribune. A week after announcing the jobs were open, Minnesota brought in Tom Thibodeau as coach and president of basketball operations and Scott Layden as GM. “I liked his answer to one of the first questions I asked: What are the things most important to you?” Taylor said of Thibodeau. “The first thing he said was, ‘I want to be the coach of an NBA championship team. That’s my goal in life.’” Taylor said Thibodeau will make the final decisions on some matters and Layden will do so on others, adding that the protocol is spelled out clearly.

Latest On The Knicks’ Coaching Search

April 24th, 2016 at 10:05am CST by Arthur Hill

David Blatt was never a serious candidate to become the next coach of the Knicks, tweets veteran NBA reporter Peter Vecsey. Blatt’s name was floated as a smokescreen, Vecsey reports, and interim coach Kurt Rambis remains the only candidate for the position. According to Vecsey, the agent for new Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau contacted the Knicks to express his client’s interest, but team president Phil Jackson had no desire to talk to Thibodeau.

Blatt was reported as a candidate earlier this month, and Jackson was believed to have a positive image of the former Cavaliers coach who was a teammate of Knicks GM Steve Mills at Princeton. Blatt, who guided Cleveland to the NBA finals last season, has been mentioned for several open coaching jobs since he was fired in January.

There’s more this morning out of New York:

Hiring the right coach is Jackson’s most important job this offseason, and he should consider someone other than the expected candidates, writes Bobby Marks of The Vertical. He lists Jim Cleamons, Bill Cartwright, Brian Shaw, Frank Hamblen, Derek Fisher and Rambis as failed coaches with a past connection to Jackson. Marks also writes that the Knicks need to fix their thin bench, and notes that more cap space will be available for that task if Arron Afflalo and Derrick Williams opt out. But he adds that the coaching job must be filled first, and that will determine the type of players the Knicks should pursue.
Jackson is blaming former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy for the negative publicity surrounding the Knicks and his performance as president, according to Bob Raissman of The New York Daily News. Longtime Jackson friend Charley Rosen wrote recently that Jackson has been “unfairly denigrated as being misguided and incompetent” by the media and he believes “power-playing” Van Gundy is behind the effort. Van Gundy coached the Knicks from 1995 to 2002, compiling a 248-172 record. He is rumored to be the favorite to become the next coach of the Rockets.

Latest On Kings Coaching Search

April 21st, 2016 at 5:34pm CST by Chuck Myron

THURSDAY, 5:34pm: McMillan intends to wait until the Pacers’ playoff run is over before interviewing for the Kings’ post, Sam Amick of USA Today tweets.

6:50pm: There has been no official contact yet, but the Kings are also interested in former Nuggets coach Brian Shaw, reports Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter links). The interest is mutual, Amick says.

WEDNESDAY, 10:19am: Warriors assistant coach Luke Walton and Kings GM Vlade Divac are expected to meet to discuss Sacramento’s head coaching vacancy, likely after Golden State’s first-round playoff series with Houston, according to Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee. Walton is “extremely fond” of Divac, who was briefly his Lakers teammate, and the location of Sacramento is increasingly appealing to Walton, who is fond of life in Northern California and has several close relatives in the Sacramento area, Voisin writes. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said Monday that no team had asked permission to interview his top assistant, but Voisin reported Tuesday that Walton was among the coaches to whom the Kings had reached out.

Divac is especially interested in Walton, Spurs assistant Ettore Messina and NBA coaching veterans Tom Thibodeau and Scott Brooks, but he’s planned to speak with several others. Divac is inquiring about the interest of Monty Williams, Jeff Van Gundy, Spurs assistant Ime Udoka and at least two college coaches, among other names previously reported as Kings coaching targets, Voisin relays. The Kings are poised to interview Sam Mitchell, Vinny Del Negro and Mike Woodson, according to reports. Mitchell’s interview is to take place today, a source told The Bee’s Jason Jones.

Sacramento has natural appeal to Brooks, who’s from the nearby city of French Camp, California, but Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reported last week that he’s not interested in coaching the Kings, with the Wizards apparently the front-runner for the former Thunder head coach. Thibodeau and Van Gundy, apparent co-favorites for the Timberwolves job, don’t want to coach Sacramento either, according to Wojnarowski.

The Kings have reached out to Messina, as Voisin reported previously, though Messina and fellow Spurs assistant Udoka are busy with the playoffs. Both were reportedly candidates for the Nets vacancy, with Udoka the apparent front-runner at one point before the job instead went to Hawks assistant Kenny Atkinson, who also reportedly drew interest from the Kings.

Williams is a Thunder assistant but has been away from the team since his wife died in February. He won’t rejoin the team for the playoffs and, as The Oklahoman’s Anthony Slater hears, he’s not expected to return to Oklahoma City for next season, either. Top free agent Kevin Durant has a close bond with Williams, the former Pelicans head coach.

Kevin McHale, Mark Jackson, David Blatt, Jeff Hornacek, Patrick Ewing, Nate McMillan and Celtics assistant Jay Larranaga are the other candidates in whom the Kings are reportedly interested. Sources who spoke with Marc Stein of ESPN.com have speculated that Heat assistant David Fizdale and former Cavs and Lakers coach Mike Brown could become Kings candidates as well.

Which of the many names mentioned here do you like best for the Kings? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.

Reaction To Tom Thibodeau Hiring

April 21st, 2016 at 3:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Timberwolves landed the most sought-after coach on the market Wednesday, hiring Tom Thibodeau and giving him player personnel control to boot. The move wasn’t a shock, since Minnesota quickly zeroed in on Thibs and appeared to pursue him with an unmatched fervor. Here’s a sampling of the reaction to Minnesota’s coup:

The Thibodeau hire demonstrates that the Wolves are more stable and promising than they ever have been, contends Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune. That Thibodeau would choose Minnesota speaks to just how intriguing the roster is, and it also shows the franchise has its priorities in order, Souhan believes. Thibodeau, in a statement Wednesday, said the Wolves have the best young roster in the NBA, as USA Today’s Sam Amick relays (Twitter link).
Thibodeau had long eyed the Lakers, convinced that he could attract elite free agents to play for him in L.A., writes Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, who takes the Lakers to task for not deciding Byron Scott‘s fate sooner and missing the chance to offer the job to Thibodeau. The ex-Bulls coach found it too risky to wait around for teams that haven’t decided whether to create coaching opportunities, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
Still, many owners and executives around the league question whether Thibodeau can handle serving as coach and president of basketball operations at the same time, Wojnarowski writes in the same piece.
The Timberwolves took an approach opposite to that of the Lakers, quickly cutting ties with Sam Mitchell and reversing course on apparent plans to let former GM Milt Newton run the front office this summer, observes Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. The team’s statement that the search would focus exclusively on candidates outside the organization was a stunner, given Taylor’s reputation for loyalty, Ding notes.

Knicks Notes: Thibodeau, Blatt, Rambis, ‘Melo

April 21st, 2016 at 10:05am CST by Chuck Myron

Kristaps Porzingis was largely unknown to Knicks fans a year ago, but his strong rookie year quickly made him a sensation in New York, where a four-minute film called “Porzingod” that takes a playful approach with the hopes and dreams attached to the 20-year-old 7-footer will debut today at the Tribeca Film Festival, as Marc Berman of the New York Post details. Such optimism is unlikely to emerge from the draft this year for the Knicks, who have a pick in neither the first nor the second round. See the latest on the blue-and-orange:

The Knicks didn’t reach out to former assistant Tom Thibodeau this spring before he took the Timberwolves job on Wednesday, sources told Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. Knicks president Phil Jackson has spoken with Luke Walton, casually or otherwise, but for now, interim coach Kurt Rambis and David Blatt are the only candidates New York is seriously considering for its coaching vacancy, Begley hears.
Blatt’s adaptability is part of what makes him appealing to the Knicks, Berman writes in a separate piece. Jackson, who’s expected to interview the former Cavs coach, has respect for the Princeton offense Blatt has sometimes employed, as Berman previously reported, though one NBA personnel director who’s spoken to the Cavs said Blatt would certainly be willing to run the triangle for the Knicks, according to Berman. Still, Blatt isn’t the favorite, Berman cautions. Berman heard from one scout who suggested that hiring Blatt would torpedo any longshot hope at landing LeBron James, but the same was said about James returning to the Cavs when they hired Blatt two years ago.
Carmelo Anthony was among the Knicks in attendance as the Knicks’ triangle seminar began this week, and Jackson played the role of coach for a day as he took the lead in imparting lessons about the offensive system, reports Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Rambis was also involved, which supports the belief that he’ll ultimately have his interim tag removed, Bondy observes. That Jackson organized the event further signals his willingness to stick around for the long haul in the wake of his Thursday declaration that he intends to stay for his whole five-year contract, Berman writes.

Eastern Notes: Lue, Johnson, Thibodeau

April 20th, 2016 at 7:55pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Cavaliers GM David Griffin was hesitant to say anything negative about former coach David Blatt, but the executive did contend that Blatt wasn’t the right person to lead the team’s current roster, Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer writes. “David really didn’t do anything inherently wrong,” said Griffin. “It just wasn’t the right fit. We [the players] are radically more engaged with each other [since Tyronn Lue took over as coach]. You can see it on an night-in, night-out basis just by watching the bench during games.”

When asked about the Cavs’ record being worse under Lue than under Blatt this season, Griffin responded, “I told everyone that things were likely to get worse before they got better after the change,” said Griffin. “I know the [coaching] change was somewhat unprecedented. We were going to make some significant changes, and it was going to take Ty a while to get his feet on the ground. At one point, we had 23 games in 41 days. When Ty took over, we were changing offensive and defensive schemes and there were periods where we had absolutely no practice days. We put him in a very tough spot.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Pistons rookie swingman Stanley Johnson has embraced the challenge of guarding LeBron James in his first-ever playoff series, which is in line with the competitive fire that made the team enamored with him in the first place, Nick Friedell of ESPN.com writes. “Stanley’s toughness and competitiveness and the fact that he’ll never back down, that’s not been a concern all year,” coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said. “What he’s got to do is play smarter, make better decisions and continue to work on his skills. I never have a doubt about his competitiveness. If you’re not a competitor, a great competitor at 19, my guess is at 22 you’re not going to be a great competitor, either. That to me is just sort of part of the personality. Now you’ll learn to play situations better, you maybe won’t make the mistakes about being nervous, you’ll have seen things more. All of those things will change, but the competitiveness to go out and play the best player in the world and not be afraid and all of that. If he didn’t have that now, I don’t think he’d have it in three years, quite honestly.”
The plethora of talented young defensive players the Wolves possess makes former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau the perfect choice to lead Minnesota into contention, opines Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post.
The Hawks have once again assigned swingman Lamar Patterson to the Austin Spurs of the NBA D-League, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution relays. Patterson will play in the deciding game of the Western Conference finals against the Los Angeles D-Fenders tonight, Vivlamore notes.

Wolves Hire Tom Thibodeau, Scott Layden

April 20th, 2016 at 5:51pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Jerry Lai/USA TODAY Sports Images

5:51pm: The Wolves have officially announced the hiring of Thibodeau and Layden. “We are extremely excited to welcome Tom Thibodeau back to the Timberwolves,” team owner Glen Taylor said. “Through this process we quickly identified Tom as the best leader to shape our talented team and help them realize their full potential. Tom’s resume speaks for itself. He is a proven winner, leader, and one of the most well-respected NBA head coaches over the last decade. His teams have annually been among the league leaders in defense and we are excited about the approach and mentality he will bring to that side of the ball. The future of the Minnesota Timberwolves has never been brighter and we are very pleased to have Tom as our basketball operations leader moving forward.”

Regarding Layden, Taylor said, “Scott Layden brings over 30 years of experience in the NBA to his new role within our organization, including several years in basketball operations leadership positions with Utah, New York and most recently San Antonio. His decades of front office experience will be integral as we head into an extremely exciting time for our organization. In getting to know Scott, he has impressed me with his not only basketball acumen, but also his character and integrity. Tom and Scott will work in concert together in shaping our roster moving forward. We are confident this partnership gives us the best possible chance of winning an NBA title.”

5:13 pm: The Wolves and Tom Thibodeau have reached an agreement that will make him the team’s head coach and president of basketball operations, reports Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press (via Twitter). The pact will pay Thibodeau approximately $8MM per season over five years, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical first reported that the two sides were closing in on an agreement.

Spurs assistant GM Scott Layden is set to become Minnesota’s GM and will earn approximately $2MM per season, according to Stein. Layden had spoken with the Wolves within the past few days about assuming the role of GM in a Thibodeau-led front office, according to Wojnarowski. The executive has previously served as the primary basketball executive of the Jazz, from 1992-99, before moving on to the Knicks from 1999-2003. He returned to the Jazz and spent several years as an assistant coach before the Spurs hired him in September 2012.

Minnesota had also reportedly interviewed Jeff Van Gundy for the coach/executive post that Thibodeau landed, and Mark Jackson apparently interviewed for the coaching job Tuesday. Thibodeau has nonetheless been the leading candidate throughout the team’s search and people around the league believed it was inevitable that the Wolves would hire him, according to Krawczynski. Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times reported earlier this week that people around the league were convinced Thibodeau would end up in Minnesota, where he still feels a comfort from his time as an assistant coach there from 1989-91, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.

Thibodeau had plenty of on-court success in his five seasons with the Bulls, who had given the longtime assistant his first NBA head coaching job. He went 255-139 in the regular season, winning the 2010 Coach of the Year award, though he was just 23-28 in the playoffs. Chicago parted ways with Thibodeau last May.

Wolves, Tom Thibodeau Finalizing Deal

April 20th, 2016 at 1:49pm CST by Chuck Myron

1:49pm: Newton has the option to remain with the organization in a role that would put him under Thibodeau and Layden, reports Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.

12:22pm: The Wolves and Thibodeau are now finalizing that deal, league sources tell Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

12:21pm: Thibodeau and the Wolves are close to a deal that would give him about $10MM a year as coach and president of basketball operations, sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). It’s conceivable Thibodeau will end up with an $11MM salary, USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt hears (Twitter link), which would mean Minnesota would be going up from the earlier-reported $11MM figure for both Thibodeau and Layden.

11:56am: The Timberwolves and Tom Thibodeau are having serious talks toward a deal that would make him the team’s coach and president of basketball operations, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter links). Spurs assistant GM Scott Layden would become Minnesota’s GM in that scenario, Wojnarowski adds. Layden has spoken with the Wolves within the past few days about assuming the role of GM in a Thibodeau-led front office, according to Wojnarowski.

The Wolves are negotiating around a figure of $11MM in combined annual salaries for Thibodeau and Layden, as Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities hears (Twitter link). Still, several moving parts exist as the discussions continue, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press, suggesting the talks could drag on for a while. A previous report from Wojnarowski and Vertical colleague Chris Mannix suggests the Wolves were willing to go as high as $7MM annually for Thibodeau.

Minnesota has also reportedly interviewed Jeff Van Gundy for the coach/executive gig that Thibodeau is gunning for, and Mark Jackson apparently interviewed for the coaching job Tuesday. Thibodeau has nonetheless been the leading candidate throughout the team’s search and people around the league believe it’s inevitable that the Wolves will hire him, according to Krawczynski (Twitter links). Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times reported earlier this week that people around the league were convinced Thibodeau would end up in Minnesota, where he still feels a comfort from his time as an assistant coach there from 1989-91, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.

Korn Ferry, the search firm that Wolves owner Glen Taylor has used in the process, turned up Layden and Grizzlies executive VP of player personnel Ed Stefanski as possible candidates for the GM job, as Wojnarowski and Mannix reported earlier. Layden has previously served as the primary basketball executive of the Jazz, from 1992-99, before moving on to the Knicks from 1999-2003. He returned to the Jazz and spent several years as an assistant coach before the Spurs hired him in September 2012.

Question remains over what becomes of GM Milt Newton, who has been in control of Minnesota’s front office since former coach/executive Flip Saunders took a leave of absence in September to deal with complications from cancer treatment that proved to be fatal. Newton held the GM title under Saunders, who was president of basketball operations, the same title Thibodeau will apparently have, but the presence of Layden would appear to marginalize Newton.

The Timberwolves and Thibodeau engaged in “cursory contact” months ago, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com, and Thibodeau has been a rumored candidate for just about every opening that’s emerged since the Bulls fired him last year. Taylor has been eyeing him for months, Stein hears (Twitter link), and armed with an intriguing young roster and the willingness to bestow the personnel power Thibodeau has reportedly sought, Minnesota appears to have landed the prime target on the coaching market.

Southeast Notes: Dragic, Winslow, Thibodeau

April 19th, 2016 at 8:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Heat have a track record of luring free agents to Miami on below-market contracts, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald notes. Center Udonis Haslem offered an explanation for the trend, saying, “It’s a first-class organization, winning organization, and you see how [team president] Pat [Riley] and [owner] Micky [Arison] work together, how the players are treated, how we love being here. And [players] see other people make sacrifices and they start to wonder, ‘Why is everybody sacrificing to be there? Why is everybody sacrificing to stay there?’ When they get a chance to be a part of it, then they buy in.”

Combo guard Goran Dragic, who signed a five-year, $90MM deal this past offseason, left millions on the table from other suitors in order to remain part of the Heat’s winning culture, Jackson relays. “When the time came and we negotiated, [agent Rade Filopovich] said we can get more somewhere else,” Dragic said. “But the most important thing for me was to be in the right place to try to win a championship. I didn’t even want to question that. Because it’s a winning culture here. Everybody wants to win, at least the players that are here. You want to put yourself in a good situation that you can develop your game, that you can get better and get the highest prize. I’m happy here. I went through some struggles but I’m really happy I’m part of this team. Everything looks good now.”

Here’s more out of the Southeast Division:

The Hornets surprised a number of draft experts when they selected Frank Kaminsky over Justise Winslow in the first round of the 2015 NBA draft. Coach Steve Clifford indicated that it was a matter of redundancy that led Charlotte to pass on Winslow, Jackson relays in a separate piece. “[The decision] was difficult, because Justise is a good player. But so much of it is need. Justise’s position, that versatile three/four, is what we have in Michael Kidd-Gilchrist [who missed most of the season with injury]. But we were really high on Frank anyway,” Clifford said.
The Wizards may not be a good fit for Tom Thibodeau, since the team isn’t offering organizational control to head coaching candidates, and that’s something the former Bulls coach reportedly prefers, Ben Standig of CSN Mid-Atlantic notes. Scott Brooks is the reported front-runner for Washington’s coaching vacancy, though Thibodeau has also drawn consideration from the Wizards as well.
The Hawks have recalled swingman Lamar Patterson from the Austin Spurs of the NBA D-League, the team announced via press release.

Kings To Interview Sam Mitchell, Vinny Del Negro

April 19th, 2016 at 8:05pm CST by Chuck Myron

8:05pm: The Kings’ first three interviews for their vacant coaching position will be with Jackson, Del Negro and former Wolves interim coach Sam Mitchell, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter).

TUESDAY, 2:50pm: The Kings are scheduled to interview Vinny Del Negro next week, The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports, confirming a tweet from Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee that indicated as much. They’d like to interview Kevin McHale, but he hasn’t decided whether he’ll meet with the team, league sources told Wojnarowski, who earlier reported the team plans to interview Mike Woodson. The team is expected to meet with a handful of candidates for initial interviews before moving on to the next stage of its search, Wojnarowski hears.

Del Negro’s name emerged among several in the mix for the Kings job when Wojnarowski reported his candidacy last week. Sacramento reportedly contacted Del Negro for its vacancy in December 2014, shortly after firing Michael Malone, but since then, the Kings have had two head coaches, and Vlade Divac succeeded Pete D’Alessandro as the front office chief.

Sacramento has reached out to Tom Thibodeau, Scott Brooks, Ettore Messina, Luke Walton and David Blatt in addition to Del Negro and Woodson, according to Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link), though Thibodeau and Brooks appear to be long shots, at best. Jeff Hornacek, Mark Jackson, Patrick Ewing, Nate McMillan and Celtics assistant Jay Larranaga are others in whom the team reportedly has interest as it seeks a replacement for the fired George Karl.

Experience appears to be a key for Divac as he looks at candidates, and Del Negro fits that bill. The 49-year-old is 210-184 in five seasons as an NBA head coach, split between the Bulls and the Clippers.