Category: News (Page 101 of 199)
Portland Trail Blazers assistant coach Monty Williams will be the next head coach of the New Orleans Hornets, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein.
The New Orleans Hornets quickly reached an agreement Friday night with Portland Trail Blazers assistant coach Monty Williams to be their next head coach after Boston Celtics assistant Tom Thibodeau withdrew from consideration earlier in the day, according to sources close to the situation.
Sources told ESPN.com that Williams’ deal will be made official no later than Saturday after Thibodeau, who was offered New Orleans’ job last week, informed the Hornets that he plans to pursue opportunities with the Chicago Bulls and New Jersey Nets.
Williams’ coaching stock has risen quickly after he got his start in San Antonio under Gregg Popovich during the Spurs’ 2004-05 championship season. He joined the Blazers in August 2005 as an assistant to Nate McMillan and took on added responsibility this season when an Achilles injury restricted McMillan’s mobility on the bench during games.
ESPN.com reported Thursday that the Hornets, even had Thibodeau accepted their offer, were hoping to hire Williams as an associate head coach to Thibodeau.
Well, hopefully this makes Chris Paul happy, because the near-term success of the franchise depends on him.
Kurt Rambis and GM David Kahn traveled to Europe and met with Rubio. Apparently, Rubio and Rambis hit it off, at least according to Kahn, who wants this to work in the worst way.
Ricky Rubio was impressed with Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis when they met for the first time last week, and the 19-year-old point guard told friends that “he can envision playing for Kurt.”
That’s what Wolves Vice President David Kahn said on Friday after returning from a weeklong scouting trip to Europe.
Rubio’s arrival won’t happen for at least another year, but he told the Associated Press in Barcelona, Spain, that he has warmed to the notion of playing in Minnesota: “They have the best possibility because they hold my rights, and they’ve shown me how much they want me,” he said. “And for that, I have to be thankful toward them.”
Rubio still plans to join the NBA after next season. It looks like the chances are pretty good that he eventually plays for the T-Wolves.
Brian Windhorst has the details:
In an interview with the The Plain Dealer, Ferry said the decision was mutual after the sides had talks about a new contract earlier this week. Ferry’s five-year deal that he signed when he came to the team in 2005 was scheduled to expire at the end of June.
Ferry will be replaced by top assistant Chris Grant, who has been functioning in the role of a co-general manager for the last several years.
On his Twitter feed, Windhorst wrote the following about LeBron’s possible involvement:
High level sources: LeBron did not play a role in decision, he liked Ferry. This was about power. Ferry wanted same level as in 2005, with the stakes [owner Dan] Gilbert didn’t want to give it. So they parted ways.
It’s very tough to judge a general manager because we’re not privy to all the details of the trades that were available to them. Things get especially murky when the team has someone like LeBron, who seemingly has his fingers into everything.
Ferry did acquire talented players like Mo Williams, Shaq and Antawn Jamison, but the pieces didn’t mesh very well, at least not at playoff time. And it’s not that tough to acquire talent, especially when your owner is willing to open his checkbook in this economy.
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David Stern answered a few questions yesterday about a number of topics, including the proposed free agent summit that was first mentioned by Dwyane Wade.
Q. Can you talk a little bit about your thoughts on the free agent summit and how the League and the Board of Governors might feel about that strategizing?
COMMISSIONER DAVID STERN: There is no free agent summit.
Q. Some of these players conferred when they signed their most recent contract.
COMMISSIONER DAVID STERN: Our players talk to each other all the time. They talk to each other on Team USA. They talk to each other. I think they have a meeting every year around our draft. I’ve been assured at the highest level that there is no summit. But I would expect our players to talk to one another, and we don’t have any problem with that. If some kind of tampering is implicated, I will have a later and different view, but we’re not expecting that.
Q. There is no free agency summit, you told them there isn’t or they told you?
COMMISSIONER DAVID STERN: No, they told me.
Q. Would you have told them there isn’t?
COMMISSIONER DAVID STERN: No. They can have it. I was wondering whether they would get together, eight players and they’ll all look at D Wade’s ring? They’d be better off watching these Finals to see how you construct a team and how you play and the like. There’s not going to be a summit.
I put that bit in bold because it seems important. Is Stern saying that a couple of players can’t get together and decide where they want to play? Ultimately, it’s up to the team to agree to sign each player, so that’s why there are such strict rules about tampering with regard to owners and franchises.
So if Wade calls up LeBron and they agree to play for the Heat, is that considered tampering? If not, where is the line drawn? Three? Five? What if there are eight players in a room discussing their options?
What constitutes tampering?
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