Tom Thibodeau Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Karl, Rondo, Thibodeau, Dunn

December 1st, 2015 at 10:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Kings coach George Karl met last week with Rajon Rondo and DeMarcus Cousins at the players’ request, and all parties describe the interaction as being extremely positive, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports reports. “It was a powerful meeting for all three of us,” Rondo told Spears. “We asked him to just sit with us so we can pick his brain and share our thoughts. What I love about [Karl] is he’s very open. George is not a dictator. ‘What can we do positively? What can we do to improve?’ If you can come into a meeting with no egos and everyone was humble, it just works out for the better.”

Rondo is also trying to impart some of the wisdom he received from former teammate Kevin Garnett to Cousins, Spears adds. When discussing the tirade Cousins unleashed upon Karl a few weeks ago, Rondo told the big man, “There is always a time and place. “[Cousins] saying what he was saying in front of the team. … The concept of what he was saying may not have been wrong, it’s just the delivery. I’ve had a lot of blowups and I’ve learned from them. I told him, ‘You’re wrong on how you did it. Your [message] might be right, but that’s when you go in his office and talk to him.’”

Here’s more from around the league:

Despite Rondo being eligible to become an unrestricted free agent after the season ends, Cousins expects the point guard to re-sign with the Kings and remain in Sacramento, Spears also relays in the same piece. “He ain’t going nowhere. I will kidnap him myself,” Cousins told Spears.
The Rockets must make a run at former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau this offseason if the franchise hopes to maximize the roster’s potential, opines Chris Mannix of SI.com. Despite the obvious questions regarding how well Thibodeau’s coaching style would mesh with James Harden and Dwight Howard, the team needs a change of direction, especially on the defensive side, Mannix notes.
Providence senior point guard Kris Dunn is solidifying himself as a potential top 10 selection in the 2016 NBA draft, with some scouts noting that Dunn belongs in the top five, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders writes. The biggest knock on Dunn is his age, 21, which potentially lowers his ceiling in relation to some of the younger players who will be available, but Dunn’s maturity level could be seen as a positive by some NBA executives, Kennedy adds. Dunn is currently ranked as the No. 7 prospect overall by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.

Dave Joerger On The Hot Seat?

November 7th, 2015 at 6:38pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger might occupy the league’s warmest seat among head coaches, sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Memphis has started the season with a record of 3-3, but it’s the way the team has lost those three games that has people within the organization fearing that owner Robert Pera won’t wait long to make a major change, Stein writes. Sources tell Stein that Pera wants to see guard Jordan Adams get an opportunity to play more, and that he hasn’t forgotten that twice last year the Grizzlies waived Hassan Whiteside, who is off to a tremendous start for the Heat this season.

After the team’s blowout loss to the Warriors last week, Joerger responded with this admission: “There are times when we look a little bit old,” Stein notes. The coach repeated the lament after the loss to the Blazers, a game in which Portland received 23 quality minutes from Ed Davis, a player Joerger didn’t have much use for when he saw a career-low 15.2 minutes per game for Memphis two seasons ago. Stein reads Joerger’s “old” comment as barely concealed criticism of the recent choices from the Memphis front office. The ESPN.com scribe points to the acquisitions of Vince Carter and Matt Barnes as examples of moves that haven’t helped the Grizzlies as much as they might have hoped.

What threatens Joerger more than anything else, according to Stein, are internal questions Pera has raised about Joerger’s leadership in the past and the fact that he nearly fired Joerger once before. Another complication is Pera’s fondness for Tom Thibodeau. Pera has gone after Thibodeau before and might make another go at the ex-Bulls coach before someone else beats him to it, Stein posits. Upper management, and not the team’s basketball operations department, was the catalyst for Jeff Bzdelik‘s ascension to the role of lead assistant this past summer, sources tell Stein.

The Grizzlies have only played six games and the team could easily look like the championship contenders that many thought they would be once we get a larger sample size. The schedule does them no favors, as they finish their five-game road trip with contests against the Jazz tonight and the Clippers on Monday. A pair of poor showings could expedite a shake-up, although that is just my speculation.

Central Notes: Monroe, Butler, Osman, Johnson

October 5th, 2015 at 11:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Bucks GM John Hammond believes the team’s plan for a new arena, which has since cleared all hurdles for public funding, played a role in convincing Greg Monroe to sign with the team, as Hammond told NBA TV’s Dennis Scott and TNT’s David Aldridge, who writes in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com. Monroe cites advice from former Bucks who became his teammates on the Pistons.

“When I signed, it wasn’t all the way done yet, but now, they have a new stadium coming,” Monroe said. “And I saw how the fans were. We played there, been coming there for years now, multiple times a year in the division. I know what kind of fan base they have. And I talked to a couple of my former teammates in Detroit who played here before, and they had nothing but great things to say about the city and the organization. So with all of that combined, I just definitely felt I made the right decision.”

See more from the Central Division:

Jimmy Butler thinks new Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg will improve the team’s floor-spacing, an element Butler thought was “terrible” last season, but Butler, in an interview with Aldridge for the same piece, identifies Hoiberg’s personal touch as the most significant change from former coach Tom Thibodeau.
The Cavs spoke with No. 31 overall pick Cedi Osman about a month ago, but he’s planning to remain overseas with Anadolu Efes, where he has a contract that runs through at least 2017/18, for the next two seasons, as Osman writes for Eurohoops.net. “I’m happy that my rights are owned by the Cleveland Cavaliers and I hope that when I go there, I’ll meet LeBron James!” Osman writes. “I have a lot to learn from him!”
Stanley Johnson was a surprise pick at No. 8 with Justise Winslow still on the board and he struggled in the Pistons‘ open scrimmage Saturday, apart from a highlight-reel play, but he’s otherwise made a strong impression with the team so far, observes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.

Central Notes: Williams, Kirk, Douglas

August 12th, 2015 at 5:41pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The opportunity to play for an NBA title is what ultimately led to Mo Williams‘ decision to sign with the Cavs, Chris Fedor of The Northeast Ohio Media Group writes. “It feels home,” Williams said of Cleveland during an interview on SiriusXM NBA Radio. “There’s just that team where you kind of feel like, ‘You know what? I would never want to leave this organization.’ Obviously the business of basketball changes the landscape of a lot of people’s careers and mine was no different, but to have the opportunity to come back and finish my career there and have the opportunity to go out on top, I couldn’t ask for a better situation. There’s no monetary factor involved in any of my decisions. At this point of my career now it’s just playing winning basketball, playing for championships.”

The Cavs’ young backcourt will also benefit from the addition of Williams, Fedor adds. “The reasons why the Cavs were confident to bring me back, I’m a strong voice and a team guy,” Williams said. “It’s about bringing everybody together collectively for one goal. That’s kind of my approach and just being around guys every day obviously you’re going to learn personalities. It’s just like any coach. You have to be able to manage those personalities and you have to be able to have everybody on your team like you. I think those things are important. Be able to relate to our guys. I’ve been the star of my team. I’ve been the second guy and the third guy. I’ve been the sixth man and the guy [expletive] off that he’s not playing. I can kind of relate to each guy.”

Here’s more out of the Central Division:

Alex Kirk, who made five appearances for the Cavaliers during the 2014/15 season, is expected to sign a deal with an Italian team in the near future, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders relays (Twitter link).
The Pacers guaranteed $600k of Toney Douglas‘ $1,185,784 salary for the 2015/16 season, and another $275k becomes guaranteed if the guard is on the roster come the season opener, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets.
Former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau says he was not surprised by the team’s decision to fire him, Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com tweets. Thibodeau also relayed that he had no regrets regarding his tenure with Chicago, and said he had no reaction to the disparaging comments made by team owner Jerry Reinsdorf when the Bulls announced his termination, notes K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune (on Twitter).

And-Ones: Celtics, Bulls, Rodriguez, Frazier

June 20th, 2015 at 11:00pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Celtics are reportedly trying to move out of the No. 28th spot in the draft in an effort to gain more cap flexibility, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter Link). Earlier today, it was reported that the team would like to move up in the draft in order to select Myles Turner. Boston also owns the No.16 overall pick, so perhaps it could dangle both picks to a team drafting in the back-end of the lottery, which is where Turner is expected to be selected.

Here’s more from around the league on the last day of spring:

Sergio Rodriguez is not contemplating the possibility of making the jump to the NBA, barring an offer he cannot refuse, according to Marca.com (Translation by HoopsHype.com). It was previously reported that the point guard planned to try and secure an NBA deal this summer.
Tom Thibodeau and his coaching staff reportedly lobbied for Draymond Green to be the No.29 overall selection in the 2012 draft instead of Marquis Teague, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
Since taking over for Thibodeau, Fred Hoiberg has immersed himself in the Bulls’ draft process, according to Johnson in the same piece. Hoiberg is also working finalize his staff with Pete Myers, Ed Pinckney, Mike Wilhelm and video coordinator Charlie Henry.
Michael Frazier will work out for the Sixers, Hawks and Rockets, according to Antonya English and Bob Putnam of the Tampa Bay Times. The former Gator has previously worked out for 11 other teams.

Tom Thibodeau On Bulls, Future

June 5th, 2015 at 12:04pm CST by Zachary Links

On Friday morning, former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau joined ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike (audio link) to discuss the NBA Finals as well as his exit from Chicago. Thibs was largely diplomatic, but he did take a small dig at the team in what might be a slam of the Luol Deng trade.

“When you lose a guy like a Derrick Rose and maybe you trade someone, and now all of a sudden you have to ask yourself, ‘How are we going to win with this group?’ Maybe that alters things,” Thibodeau said (transcription via K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune). “I learned how you have to do that with this team. Whatever the next opportunity is, I’ll take those lessons and try to use them.”

Here’s a look at a few of the other highlights from Thibodeau’s chat with Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic..

On reported issues between him and management:

Obviously, there were some issues. I don’t want to get into all that. As I said, I’m very proud of what the team did. When I look back, it’s five years, I think anytime when you have a pro franchise, there’s going to be some carping that goes on along the way. When I look back, I’d rather focus in on the positives. It was a great experience for me. I loved our players. I loved my staff.

On his reaction to scathing comments by Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf:

I don’t worry about stuff like that..For me, I put everything that I have into each day. So I have no regrets. I’m going to let the record speak for itself.

On whether his rift with management affected the team’s on-court performance:

I would like to think it didn’t have any [effect]. If you allow yourself to be distracted, you’re going to be distracted by other things as well. As players and coaches, you’re going to hear things all the time whether it’s trades or being fired or whatever it might be. I think the important thing is to lock into what you have to do each day, put everything you have into it and then you let the results speak for themselves.

On whether he’ll change his coaching style going forward:

You go back through the season and evaluate everything that was done. I don’t think you ever want to stay the same. You’re always looking at how you can do things better. There are some things you may not change but you always want to add, evolve. I think the big thing is to study and prepare and try to do it better the next time. There’s a lot of things that I learned from the experience. I learned from all my experiences.

Central Rumors: Pistons, Thibodeau, Bucks

June 1st, 2015 at 9:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Arizona small forward Stanley Johnson could be a perfect fit for the Pistons if he’s available with the No. 8 overall pick, according to David Mayo of MLive. The team’s biggest weakness is at small forward, which was manned by aging Tayshaun Prince and Caron Butler during the second half of last season. Prince, an unrestricted free agent, is expected to sign elsewhere this summer while the team holds a $4.5MM option on Butler’s contract. Johnson has the ability to create off the dribble, make mid-range shots and defend multiple positions, attributes that coach Stan Van Gundy covets, Mayo continues. Johnson is also the bulkiest of the small forwards expected to go in the first round, which will allow him to play a physical style at both ends, Mayo adds.

In other news around the Central Division:

The Pistons are unlikely to move their first-round pick to accelerate their rebuilding process because Van Gundy has long-term security, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press tweets. Instead, they are taking a long look at stretch fours with the pick, particularly Kristaps Porzingis and Frank Kaminsky, Ellis reveals in a separate tweet.
Tom Thibodeau will likely take a year off and then explore his coaching options, Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders opines. The recently-fired Bulls coach will likely wind up with an Eastern Conference contender, where the path to the NBA Finals is easier, Brigham continues. The Wizards, Raptors and Hornets are potential suitors for Thibodeau, depending upon how next season unfolds, though it’s conceivable that a team like Washington could pull the trigger this offseason if it feels Thibodeau is the missing link to a serious title run, Brigham adds.
The Bucks would like to draft an athletic big man who can play power forward and center, and failing that, a guard who can shoot, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, who writes in his NBA PM piece that Georgia State shooting guard R.J. Hunter seems like a fit.

Eastern Notes: Skiles, Wizards, Varejao

May 29th, 2015 at 7:33pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The big news of the day is the Magic‘s hiring of Scott Skiles as the team’s new head coach. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports previously reported that Skiles’ arrangement with the team was for four years, and Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link) adds that the fourth year (2018/19) is a team option. Robbins also tweets that Skiles said he would like to keep former interim coach James Borrego on his coaching staff.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

The Wizards have workouts scheduled for this Monday with Jerian Grant (Notre Dame), Darian Hooker (New York Institute of Technology), Cady Lalanne (UMass), Stefan Nastic (Stanford), Juwan Staten (West Virginia), and Delon Wright (Utah), Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post reports (via Twitter).
Cavs big man Anderson Varejao, who has been out of action since suffering a torn left Achilles tendon, could be activated for the NBA Finals if something were to “go bad” for Cleveland, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com said in an appearance on ESPN Cleveland radio (Twitter link).
Former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau didn’t deserve the shots he took on the way out the door from the franchise, but he did deserve to be fired because of the team’s lack of offensive creativity and production despite having a potent roster and rotation, Kelly Dwyer of Yahoo! Sports opines.
Working out for the Sixers today were T.J. McConnell (Arizona), Chasson Randle (Stanford), Jarvis Threatt (Delaware), K.T. Harrell (Auburn), and Gabe Olaseni (Iowa), Jake Fischer of LibertyBallers.com relays (Twitter link).

Pelicans Interview Alvin Gentry, JVG

May 29th, 2015 at 7:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

MAY 29TH, 7:30pm: Gentry was in New Orleans today for a second interview with the team, Fletcher Mackel of WDSU NBC New Orleans tweets. Van Gundy is also still in contention for the job, Mackel adds.

MAY 22ND, 6:04pm: The Pelicans interviewed Van Gundy on Tuesday, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports. The two sides had previously spoken over the phone, but this was the first face-to-face meeting, Wojnarowski’s sources relayed.

10:16pm: Van Gundy has expressed interest in coaching the Pelicans, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets.

MAY 21ST, 12:50pm: Gentry sees the chance to coach Davis as career-defining and is “more than interested” in the job, a source close to Gentry told John Reid of The Times-Picayune. The source pointed to clear indications that Gentry will meet again with Pelicans management after the season is over for the Warriors, Reid adds. New Orleans wants a coach who’ll install an exciting, up-tempo attack while further developing Davis, Reid hears from league sources, and Gentry’s last NBA head coaching gig came with the fast-paced Steve Nash-era Suns.

8:34pm: Gentry is being interviewed by Pelicans president Mickey Loomis and GM Dell Demps tonight in San Francisco, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Gentry, who was granted permission by the Warriors to interview in between playoff series, will try to sell the Pelicans’ brass on offensive strategies that he would institute to expand Anthony Davis‘ game, Wojnarowski continues. Loomis is also interested in Thibodeau, who is waiting to hear from the Bulls about his future with the franchise, but Demps isn’t as sold on the hard-edged Chicago coach after having endured much internal conflict with former coach Monty Williams, Wojnarowski hears. The Pelicans have also made calls on Jeff Van Gundy and have an interest in Scott Brooks, Wojnarowski adds.

5:11pm: There was a lot of talk at the combine that the Pelicans would be hesitant to give up compensation to Chicago in return for the Bulls allowing them to hire Thibodeau, Johnson reports (Twitter link). That doesn’t mean the team will necessarily hire Gentry instead, but it supports the idea that the Pelicans will wait to see how things shake out between the Bulls and Thibs, Johnson tweets.

4:40pm: The Bulls and Thibodeau are still operating as though Thibs remains Chicago’s coach, Stein writes in a full story. Stein still says the sides are widely expected to part ways. It’s unclear just when Gentry’s interview with the Pelicans will take place, Stein notes.

MAY 18TH, 4:15pm: The Pelicans have received permission from the Warriors to interview assistant coach Alvin Gentry, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Most of the reports regarding the New Orleans vacancy have centered on Tom Thibodeau, so it appears the Pels are expanding their base of candidates. Gentry is reportedly a front-runner for Chicago should the Bulls part ways with Thibodeau, so perhaps the Pelicans’ interest in Gentry is brinksmanship of sorts to entice the Bulls to let Thibs go for minimal compensation, though that’s just my speculation.

Gentry has reportedly drawn interest from the Nuggets and Magic, too, as he helps head coach Steve Kerr guide the Warriors toward a title. The sought-after candidate has made it clear he enjoys coaching in Golden State even though he’d like to return to a head coaching capacity. Gentry is a veteran of parts of 12 seasons as an NBA head coach with the Heat, Pistons, Clippers and Suns. He took Phoenix, where he made his last head coaching stop, to the Western Conference Finals in 2009. Gentry left a job as an assistant for the New Orleans franchise, then known as the Hornets, after one season in 2004 to join Mike D’Antoni‘s staff with the Suns, as Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic points out (on Twitter).

New Orleans was reportedly waiting for clarity on Thibodeau’s situation with the Bulls as of last week. There’s apparent mutual interest between Thibs and the Pelicans, and a pair of reports Friday indicated that if he’s not coaching in Chicago, he’ll most likely end up on the Pelicans bench. However, his contract with the Bulls runs through 2016/17, so Chicago controls his fate if he wants to coach in the NBA anytime soon. Thibodeau isn’t about to walk away from the money remaining on his deal, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link), an amount Stein last week pegged at close to $9MM. Still, Johnson suggests it’s possible that Thibodeau will sit out next season if the Bulls indeed decide to go with someone else.

Bulls Rumors: Hoiberg, Thibodeau, Reinsdorf

May 29th, 2015 at 10:29am CST by Chuck Myron

Those in Tom Thibodeau‘s inner circle heard that the Bulls and Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg reached an understanding that he would accept an offer from Chicago, prompting the team to fire Thibs, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. GM Gar Forman has been “obsessive” about hiring Hoiberg, according to Wojnarowski, who details Thibodeau’s failings to act more diplomatically in a Bulls organization that’s hostile to those who don’t give deference to management, Wojnarowski believes. Here’s more on the coaching change in Chicago:

Several close to Thibodeau have suggested that he sit out this coming season, when the Bulls will continue to pay him toward the nearly $9MM left on his contract, and wait for the NBA coaching vacancies of 2016/17, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
One NBA coach likened the way the Bulls let go of Thibodeau to a crucifixion while another insinuated that owner Jerry Reinsdorf stabbed the coach in the back, according to Steve Aschburner of NBA.com. Indeed, Thibodeau confidants told Wojnarowski that the coach was especially hurt by Reinsdorf’s comment in the statement the team released to announce the firing, having deeply valued his relationship with the owner.
Forman and executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson weren’t the only ones in the organization who didn’t get along with Thibodeau, as Jon Greenberg of ESPNChicago.com heard from staffers whose attitudes toward Thibs ranged from apathy to loathing.