Tom Thibodeau Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Magic, Vucevic, Hornets

May 2nd, 2015 at 8:41pm CST by Arthur Hill

The slow pace of the Magic’s coaching search may be tied to the Bulls’ Tom Thibodeau, according to Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando hasn’t interviewed anyone for the opening since the season ended, and Robbins notes that many speculate the Magic are waiting to see if Chicago fires Thibodeau after its playoff run ends. The Nuggets are the only other NBA team with a coaching vacancy, and many league insiders say the Magic’s job is considered more attractive in coaching circles. So there is little pressure to fill the job right away, but that could change soon if Dwane Casey is fired in Toronto.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

The four-year extension Nikola Vucevic agreed to in October should be a bargain for the Magic once the new television deal takes effect, Robbins contends in a separate story. Vucevic’s contract can be worth up to $53MM, which could be cheap for a productive center with the expected jump in the salary cap. The deal could eventually make Vucevic, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder this season, an attractive trade piece, but Robbins said he’s definitely in Orlando’s immediate plans. “They signed me here for the future, and that’s a responsibility I wanted: to be one of these leaders on the team,” Vucevic said.
An early-season ankle sprain was a bad omen for the Magic’s Kyle O’Quinn, writes Ken Hornack of Fox Sports Florida. The third-year player missed nearly a month with the ankle and was limited to just 51 games for the season. He will become a restricted free agent in July after making slightly more than $900K this year. “I don’t think that’s the biggest thing I have to worry about right now,” he said about free agency. “My biggest thing is being a better player, becoming more of a student of a game, getting back to where I need to be.”
The Hornets would like to own and operate their own D-League franchise, reports Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Eight teams currently have that arrangement with their D-League affiliates, while eight others fund the franchise and handle the basketball — but not the business — side of the operation. Charlotte officials have targeted seven cities in the Carolinas: Asheville, Charleston, Columbia, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Greenville (S.C.) and Raleigh. “We think this is a great opportunity for our basketball people to have complete autonomy and control of how that part of the business is run,” said team president Fred Whitfield.

Northwest Notes: Blazers, Thibodeau, Donovan

April 30th, 2015 at 12:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

The questions that face the Blazers after a disappointing stretch run that threatens to shake the foundation of the roster are as profound as any the team has faced in the last 15 years, The Oregonian’s Jason Quick argues. The emergence of C.J. McCollum and Meyers Leonard, the disappointing play of Nicolas Batum and Robin Lopez, and the rumors surrounding LaMarcus Aldridge‘s willingness to keep playing in Portland provide challenge and opportunity for GM Neil Olshey, Quick contends. Still, few options other than returning to the Blazers would give Aldridge the chance to play a lead role on a true contender, SB Nation’s Tom Ziller opines. Here’s more from around the Northwest Division:

Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post doesn’t envision Tom Thibodeau emerging as the top candidate for the Nuggets job given the conflict of his defense-first philosophy and Denver’s desire for a fast-paced game, as Dempsey writes in a mailbag column.
The decision to leave Florida for the Thunder that Billy Donovan reportedly made should have been an easy one, as Sports Illustrated’s Pete Thamel argues. He’ll have an “exponentially better chance” at a title in Oklahoma City than he would with the Gators the next two years, and if he fails and the Thunder fire him, he’d have his pick of top college jobs, Thamel believes.
The numbers suggest that Donovan was no better down the stretch in close games at Florida than the oft-criticized Scott Brooks was for the Thunder, The Oklahoman’s Jenni Carlson writes.

Tom Thibodeau Confidants Believe He’ll Be Fired

April 24th, 2015 at 2:28pm CST by Chuck Myron

People close to Tom Thibodeau are convinced that the Bulls will fire him after the season is over, writes Grantland’s Zach Lowe, who notes that the Bulls front office has continually batted down persistent rumors of a rift with the coach. The Bulls are in as strong a position as they’ve been in some time with a 3-0 series lead on the Bucks and a presumptive matchup with LeBron James and the Cavs looming, as Lowe examines. Still, few around the NBA expect the former Coach of the Year to be back in Chicago next season, according to Tim Bontemps of the New York Post, who notes that many view Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg as the likely replacement for Thibodeau.

The news jibes with several reports from the past few months. Marc Stein of ESPN.com wrote earlier this month that the Bulls and Thibodeau were “widely expected” to part ways and K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune in January described the relationship between Thibodeau and the front office as “beyond repair,” which drew a denial from GM Gar Forman. In any case, it would appear the onus to cut ties would be on the team, as Johnson recently surmised that the coach probably wouldn’t walk away from the job if it were entirely up to him.

The Magic have interest in Thibodeau should he become available, as several league sources suggested to Chris Mannix of SI.com and as Stein later confirmed. People connected to Thibodeau have explored the Magic, among other teams, as a possible landing spot should he no longer be coaching the Bulls, according to Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher. It’s unclear if Thibodeau would emerge as a serious candidate for the Nuggets or Thunder openings, but given his resume, it wouldn’t be surprising. Thibodeau has compiled a record of 255-139 in five seasons with the Bulls, guiding them to the playoffs each year in spite of a multitude of injuries to Derrick Rose and others, and before that he spent two decades as an NBA assistant, winning a title with the Celtics in 2008.

Eastern Notes: Bucks, Thibodeau, Grant

April 21st, 2015 at 7:59pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Bucks president Peter Feigin impressed upon bickering local and state government officials to wrap up a deal within the next 10 days to secure the public’s $250MM share of financing for a $500MM new arena for the team in Milwaukee, reports Don Walker of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Without an arena, “the Bucks will be gone from the state of Wisconsin,” Feigin warned. Realistically, groundbreaking must take place by early this fall so that the arena remains on schedule to beat an NBA-imposed deadline, as Feigin told Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com for a story this weekend. Sources told Windhorst the NBA would indeed exercise its right to buy the franchise and seek to move it if construction doesn’t begin soon.

Here’s more out of the Eastern Conference:

Despite the upgrade Tom Thibodeau would provide as coach, the Magic should pass on the longtime Bulls coach if it required the team to surrender its first round draft pick as compensation, Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel opines. Orlando previously traded for Stan Van Gundy, sending the Heat a second-rounder back in 2007 in return for the coach, Schmitz notes.
2014 second-rounder Jerami Grant turned out to be one of the Sixers‘ biggest surprises this season, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. An undersized power forward in college, Grant adapted well when the team moved him to small forward, Pompey adds. “Whatever position they put me at, I think I will be fine with it,” Grant said. “But in the offseason, I’m definitely going to work on a lot of things that a four-man can do and what a three-man can do. I’m just going to work on my overall game.” In 65 games this season Grant averaged 6.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in 21.2 minutes per contest.
Dwyane Wade isn’t in a rush to make a decision regarding his player option worth $16,125,000, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press writes. The veteran also indicated that the 2015/16 campaign isn’t likely to be his last in the league, Reynolds adds. “I don’t sit on my hands,” Wade said. “Obviously, everything’s about life after [basketball] and seeing what you want to do as well. So this is a perfect time to figure it out. I signed my deal the way I did for a reason … and the organization did it for a reason. It’s my option. I’ll decide when the time is right. Everyone knows I always try to do what’s best for the organization, but I also have to do what’s best for Dwyane Wade as well.” This conflicts with earlier statements from Wade that he intended to opt in for next season.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Coaching Rumors: Thibodeau, Skiles, Williams

April 16th, 2015 at 9:20am CST by Chuck Myron

Scott Brooks appears to be in trouble with the Thunder, but there are at least two coachiing jobs already up for grabs, with the Magic and Nuggets having interim bosses in place. Here’s the latest as the annual period of coaching unrest tips off:

Tom Thibodeau and the Bulls are “widely expected” to part ways after Chicago’s season ends, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com writes within a larger look at the coaching landscape. K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune wrote in January that the relationship between Thibs and the front office is “beyond repair,” but no definitive decision has been made, and Thibodeau is under contract through 2016/17. Johnson wrote this week that Thibodeau wouldn’t walk away from the team if the choice were solely up to him.
Orlando indeed has interest in Thibodeau should he become available, Stein writes. Several league sources suggested to Chris Mannix of SI.com in February that the Magic might pursue Thibodeau.
The Magic have said that they’ll interview interim coach James Borrego, and some sources insist to Stein there’s a chance that Nuggets interim coach Melvin Hunt will have a chance to remain in the job, but sources told Stein this week that neither team is expected to retain its interim boss.
Conflicting reports have emerged on whether the Magic have spoken with Scott Skiles. Sources tell Stein that Orlando has held informal discussions with its former point guard, while Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel later tweeted that no such talks have taken place. Still, Robbins believes they eventually will, and Skiles and Magic CEO Alex Martins have a strong relationship, Stein notes.
The Pelicans told coach Monty Williams and GM Dell Demps before the season that they had to make the playoffs to keep their jobs, regardless of whether the team suffered a rash of injuries, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). New Orleans qualified for the postseason with a win Wednesday.

Latest On Tom Thibodeau, Bulls, Magic

April 13th, 2015 at 8:32am CST by Chuck Myron

MONDAY, 8:32am: Johnson finds it difficult to envision Thibodeau leaving the Bulls if the choice is up to the coach, given the other options he had when he arrived in Chicago and his fondness for living there, among other reasons. Thibodeau has said publicly that he’s OK with merely having a say in personnel matters rather than full control, and he was a significant advocate of the draft-night trade for Doug McDermott last year, Johnson hears. As for the Magic, Hennigan will strongly consider Skiles and Mark Jackson for his coaching vacancy in Orlando, league sources tell Johnson.

FRIDAY, 2:58pm: Third parties connected to Tom Thibodeau have been exploring what his options would be if he and the Bulls were to part ways in the offseason, and the Magic are one of the teams they’ve investigated, Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher says in a video report (hat tip to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune). Still, the Magic reportedly plan to seek an extension for GM Rob Hennigan, and CEO Alex Martins has spoken in glowing terms about the GM, raising questions about whether Thibodeau would want to head to Orlando, Bucher adds. The feeling around the league is that the Magic’s desire to extend Hennigan’s deal is a signal to candidates for its coaching position that they won’t get front-office control, according to Bucher.

Thibodeau’s rocky relationship with the Bulls front office is well-documented, and Johnson wrote earlier this season that it was “beyond repair,” though GM Gar Forman denies that kind of tension exists. Many people around the league wouldn’t be surprised to see Thibodeau, who’s under contract through 2016/17, and the Bulls mutually part ways this summer, Johnson wrote. Several league sources told Chris Mannix of SI.com in February, shortly after the team fired Jacque Vaughn, that they thought the Magic might pursue Thibodeau.

Interim coach James Borrego is one of several potential candidates for the Orlando job, though the team wants to hire an experienced hand, notes Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). Scott Skiles, whom Kennedy reported the Magic would consider, remains in the mix, Johnson hears (Twitter link). Fellow Basketball Insiders scribe Steve Kyler heard from sources who suggested Skiles wouldn’t take the Magic job without personnel control, though Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel wrote that Skiles is indeed interested in the opening.

Central Notes: Bucks, Copeland, Whittington

April 8th, 2015 at 7:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

State, county and city leaders continue to bicker over how to raise the public share of funding for a new Bucks arena in Milwaukee even as the team unveiled sketches for the proposed $500MM building today, report Don Walker And Tom Daykin of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The Bucks nonetheless have extreme confidence that the project will get done, tweets Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times. The team is facing an NBA-imposed deadline of 2017 to reach a deal on funding for construction, lest the league seize control of the franchise from its owners.

Here’s more from the Central Division:

Pacers coach Frank Vogel expressed concern that the nightclub stabbing of forward Chris Copeland will become a distraction to his team, Peter Botte of The New York Daily News writes. “It’s always a shock when you hear something like this. So it’s a big shock,” Vogel said. “Obviously it hurts to see a teammate be injured like this, but we’re trying to remain focused on the game tonight.”
The Bulls were 10-10 while Derrick Rose missed time due to a surgical procedure on his right knee, and the team hopes that his return tonight can spark a deep playoff run, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com writes. The handling of Rose and Chicago’s other injured players this season has deepened the rift between coach Tom Thibodeau and the front office, Berger adds. Thibodeau has grown increasingly frustrated with management’s involvement with the handling of injuries and return-to-play protocols, which he believes should be the coach’s domain, Berger notes.
The Pacers have assigned Shayne Whittington to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA D-League, the team announced. This is the forward’s second trip to Fort Wayne this season, and Whittington is the lone player whom Indiana has dispatched to the D-League this campaign.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Central Notes: George, Bucks, Thibodeau

March 23rd, 2015 at 7:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pacers coach Frank Vogel insists that Paul George is not ready to play, Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star tweets. ESPN.com’s Brian Windhorst reported on Friday that George could return within a week but Vogel told Buckner that’s not the case. “There’s a lot of layers to it,” Vogel said. “He’s not ready. He hasn’t reached our level of what we feel he’s ready to play.” In a separate tweet from Buckner, Vogel added that while George is cleared to practice, he’s not cleared to play, though that refuted what president of basketball operations Larry Bird indicated to ESPN.com’s Mike Mazzeo.

In other news around the Central Division:

Trading Brandon Knight to the Suns has led to the Bucks’ recent struggles, according to Steve Aschburner of NBA.com. The deadline deal had an emotional impact on the team and hindered the team’s offense because replacement Michael Carter-Williams isn’t as proficient as Knight, in Aschburner’s assessment. Coach Jason Kidd did not view Knight as his long-term solution at the point and Knight’s status as a restricted free agent after the season contributed to the decision to deal him, Aschburner adds.
Iowa State’s Fred Hoiberg could be a candidate for the Bulls head coaching job if they part ways with Tom Thibodeau after the season, Chad Ford of ESPN.com speculates. Thibodeau reportedly has a strained relationship with the team’s management and Ford considers Hoiberg the hottest college coach on the market. Hoiberg played in the league, worked in an NBA front office, and has a more laid-back demeanor than Thibodeau, Ford points out.
The Cavs turned their season around by making trades for Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith and Timofey Mozgov, Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer opines. Cleveland started out 19-20 and GM David Griffin fixed its problems by shaking up the roster, which dramatically improved the team’s defense, Pluto adds.

Eastern Notes: Knight, Thibodeau, Antic

February 25th, 2015 at 6:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Brandon Knight‘s price tag as a restricted free agent was a good reason for the Bucks to trade him to the Suns, Nate Duncan of Basketball Insiders believes. Knight will likely receive offer sheets in the range of $13MM-$15.9MM annually this summer after he was unable to reach an agreement on a contract extension with the club last fall, Duncan adds. Michael Carter-Williams, who was acquired from Philadelphia to take Knight’s spot, is on a rookie contract through the 2016/17 season and has more upside, Duncan opines.

In other news around the Eastern Conference:

The acquisition of Carter-Williams could hurt the Bucks in the short run but improves their flexibility this summer, Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel writes. The move gives them a young core of Carter-Williams, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker, and they have approximately $15MM in salary cap space to make another major move, Gardiner adds.
Four-year NBA veteran Daniel Orton has turned down offers from overseas after returning from his stint in the Philippines and is holding out for an NBA deal, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Orton was with the Wizards during preseason.
Derrick Rose‘s latest knee injury could lead to Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau’s departure, according to Nancy Armour of USA Today. Thibodeau’s relationship with Bulls management was already strained, Armour reveals, and Rose is one of his most fervent supporters. Losing Rose for perhaps the rest of the season could lead to Thibodeau, who has two years left on his contract, and the team cutting ties, Armour opines.
The Hawks will try to re-sign Pero Antic when he becomes an unrestricted free agent after the season, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Antic has struggled with his shooting in a reserve role this season, averaging 28.7% on three-point attempts, but that hasn’t changed the Hawks’ thinking, Vivlamore adds.
Magic COO Alex Martins says the team will not interview head coaching candidates until after season, Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel tweets. James Borrego is the interim coach for the remainder of the season after Jacque Vaughn was fired earlier this month.
Forest City Enterprises, the Ratner parent company, confirms it’s looking to sell its shares in Nets and Barclays Center, NetsDaily tweets. Bruce Ratner is a minority owner of the Nets after selling 80% of the club to Mikhail Prokhorov in 2010.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Kings Intensify Coaching Search, Eye Karl

February 7th, 2015 at 10:56pm CST by Chuck Myron

10:56pm: Cousins didn’t confirm or deny his behind-the-scenes role in the Karl situation after Saturday’s loss to the Jazz, Bruski reports. (Twitter link). “I’m waiting just like you guys,” Cousins told reporters. “There’s gonna always be allegations, there’s always going to be he said/she said.” The Sacramento center wasn’t surprised to be the target of rumors, saying, “Of course my name is being thrown into it. (I’m) franchise center piece…” (Twitter link).

10:22pm: There is opposition to Karl inside the Kings organization from minority owners, Amick reports (Twitter link). There was hope that Karl could talk to Cousins on Sunday — either in person or by telephone — but it’s uncertain now if that will occur (Twitter link).

9:34pm: The resistance from Cousins’ camp has slowed negotiations between Karl and the Kings, Wojnarowski confirms (Twitter link). He adds that the two sides were closing the gap on money and contract length this afternoon (Twitter link).

9:12pm: It seems less and less likely that Karl will be the Kings’ next coach, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link), who says representatives of the team, Karl and Cousins all share that belief. He adds that a resolution is expected Sunday, and the Kings are willing to finish the season with Corbin behind the bench. (Twitter link).

5:27pm: There is a significant gap between the two sides when it comes to salary and length of contract, reports Sam Amick of USA Today. D’Alessandro, who’s pushing for the team to bring on his former Nuggets colleague, has traveled to Denver to talk about the job with Karl, Amick also writes. The two agents for Cousins have opposed a Karl hiring, Amick hears, pointing out that Karl reassigned Jarinn Akana, one of those agents, from the coaching staff to a scouting position when Akana worked for the Nuggets. Karl’s son, former NBA player Coby Karl, once was a client of Dan Fegan, the lead agent for Cousins, before replacing him with another representative, according to Amick. D’Alessandro is prepared to forge ahead without the support of those agents, but there’s concern within the Kings organization about the conflict that would engender, and the GM would prefer to convince them Karl is the man for the job, as Amick explains. Karl has told the Kings that he likes Cousins quite a bit, Spears tweets.

2:10pm: The Kings are in “serious back-and-forth” discussions with Karl, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! sports.

SATURDAY, 11:22am: Talks between the Kings and Karl have intensified, Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee reports. The combination of Karl’s innovative coaching and immediate availability has won over team officials, Voisin notes. While it was previously reported that Sacramento wished to wait until after the season to make a change, the Kings’ ongoing slump and “jarring absence of competitiveness” has prompted principal owner Vivek Ranadive and D’Alessandro to move the search along more rapidly, Voisin adds.

3:57pm: Kings officials want to see whether Tom Thibodeau or other desirable coaches become available this summer, giving them further motivation to stand pat for now, Jones tweets.

3:47pm: Sacramento’s front office is not pleased with the play of the team but is nonetheless concerned about firing another coach during the season, Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee reports (Twitter links). In addition to Karl, Alvin Gentry and Nate McMillan will also be candidates for the Kings’ coaching slot, Jones adds.

FRIDAY, 2:37pm: The Kings are picking up steam in their search for a long-term solution at head coach, as Aaron Bruski of NBCSports.com hears (Twitter link). There’s a decent chance that the team will make a hire at the All-Star break, Bruski adds, cautioning that Sacramento has no definitive timetable to make a move. Bruski suggests that the Magic’s coaching search has spurred the Kings into action, and George Karl, who’s openly campaigning for the Orlando job, remains a candidate, according to Bruski (Twitter links). Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro has said that Tyrone Corbin, who took over for the Kings when they fired Michael Malone in December, would remain in charge of the team until season’s end. Still, another report indicated that owner Vivek Ranadive wanted to bring in someone else in the immediate wake of Malone’s dismissal before the team’s front office talked him into keeping Corbin.

Sacramento is just 6-18 under Corbin, and sits in 12th place in the Western Conference at 17-31 after a strong start under Malone that ended when an illness knocked DeMarcus Cousins out of 10 games. Cousins, who was a supporter of Malone, told reporters after Thursday’s blowout loss to the Mavs that this has been his most frustrating time as a King, as Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee notes (Twitter link).

Bruski wrote in December that Mark Jackson, another rumored candidate for the Magic job, had “no chance” of becoming the next Kings coach, in spite of his close ties to D’Alessandro and Kings adviser Chris Mullin. D’Alessandro denied that a meeting he had with Mullin and Jackson, as well as Cousins, had any connection to the team’s head coaching position. Ranadive became intrigued with the idea of Mullin coaching the team, but the Hall-of-Famer apparently has no desire to take over at midseason. Vinny Del Negro, whom multiple reports have connected to the Magic job, also heard from the Kings in December.