June 15, 2013 – Page 2 – NBA Blog

Clippers coaching search continues

The Clippers’ coaching carousel took many turns this week, as the team interviewed three candidates for their opening, while a fourth coach — Doc Rivers — popped up high on their wish list, said several NBA executives who were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

The Clippers began by interviewing Indiana associate head coach Brian Shaw on Monday.

On Tuesday, the Clippers’ front office interviewed former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Byron Scott, followed by former Memphis Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins, who was in Los Angeles on Thursday and Friday.

But the real buzz in NBA circles involved the Clippers and Boston Celtics Coach Doc Rivers, who both expressed some interest in each other, according to the executives.

If Rivers were to become available, the Clippers would make him their No. 1 choice to become their head coach, the executives said.

Reported by Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times

C.J. Watson may opt out of Brooklyn Nets contract

It has been expected since the Nets saw their season end against the Bulls in the first round of the playoffs C.J. Watson would opt-out of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent.

Nets general manager Billy King all but confirmed that would be the case in a radio interview yesterday.

“I haven’t gotten the official letter yet, but I’m assuming he will,” King said. “Because the salary that he makes, he knows he can get that, and he wants to get more if he can.

“Jason and I have already discussed if that happens, and if we aren’t able to retain him we have some guys in mind that we’d like to replace him with.”

Reported by Tim Bontemps of the New York Post

Jason Kidd to coach Nets entry in Orlando summer league

The first time Jason Kidd takes the floor as a head coach won’t be in some NBA arena this fall for the first Nets preseason game.

Instead, it’s going to be in the practice gym inside Orlando’s Amway Center next month, when he takes charge of the Nets entry in the annual Orlando Summer League.

“I think it’s the best thing to get right into it,” Kidd said during one of several radio interviews he did in his first full day as head coach of the Nets. “I know that a lot of times head coaches don’t coach summer league, but this gives me time to work on different parts of the game of learning to be a coach, but also my philosophy and plays and the defensive stuff that I get to put in as my system. So, I get to see if it works [and] if it doesn’t work, what changes I have to make and go from there.”

As Kidd said himself, it’s rare for the head coach of a team to actually run its summer league squad often passing the job off to an assistant.

Reported by Tim Bontemps of the New York Post

Andre Iguodala expected to opt out of Denver Nuggets contract

Friday produced a trio of newsy Nuggets nuggets — Danilo Gallinari may return as soon as December from knee surgery, Andre Iguodala will opt out of his contract and become a free agent and Lionel Hollins will interview to be the team’s head coach…

As for Iguodala, it wasn’t a shock that he decided to opt out of his contract. Now, it’s just a question of whether he will re-sign with Denver.

The defensive-minded shooting guard would have made close to $16 million this coming season, but instead he chose the free-agent market in July.

If anything, it’s a sign that he’s considering other teams, though Denver can offer Iguodala a five-year deal while other teams can offer at most a four-year contract. Nuggets president Josh Kroenke has spoken highly of Iguodala and has said he will make a push to try to bring him back.

Reported by Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post