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Tyronn Lue intends to return as Cavs coach

If Tyronn Lue has his way, he’ll be coaching the Cleveland Cavaliers again next season. Here’s ESPN.com reporting:

Tyronn Lue confirmed to reporters after Friday’s series-ending Game 4 loss in the NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors that he intends to return as head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers next season.

Lue, who guided the Cavs to their first championship in franchise history after being elevated from associate head coach to the head coach midway through the 2015-16 season, when David Blatt was dismissed, has three years remaining on the five-year, $35 million contract extension he signed in the summer of 2016.

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Dwane Casey might become next Pistons coach

Will former Raptors head coach Dwane Casey, recently let go by the team after years of success, become the next head coach of the Pistons? Maybe. Here’s Michigan Live with an update:

After dropping a strong hint Friday on ESPN’s First Take that he will be coaching the Detroit Pistons, Dwane Casey tapped the brakes a bit shortly after on another of the network’s shows.

Casey, appearing on The Jump with Rachel Nichols, said nothing is finalized with the Pistons but spoke glowingly of the organization and praised the roster.

“I had a couple of great meetings, one with the management, with Ed Stefanski, who’s a great GM, a great guy, he’s a main reason why the job is appealing, along with (Blake Griffin) and also Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson,” Casey told Nichols.

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Eric Glass to coach Heat summer league team

Summer leagues are next month. It’s too early to dive in fully, but here’s some quick info on the Heat, as reported by the Palm Beach Post:

Eric Glass’ ascension on the Heat bench will continue this summer.

The Heat confirmed that Glass will lead the organization’s summer-league teams in Sacramento and Las Vegas this year. The 34-year-old Glass follows in the footsteps of Heat assistant coaches Chris Quinn, Juwan Howard and Dan Craig as head of the team’s summer program — Quinn coached the Heat’s summer-league team last year, Howard led the summer program in 2016 and Craig coached the summer rosters from 2013 through 2015.

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Atlanta Hawks name assistant coaching staff

The Atlanta Hawks today named Melvin Hunt, Chris Jent, Greg Foster, Marlon Garnett and Matt Hill as assistant coaches on head coach Lloyd Pierce’s staff.

Also, Nate Babcock has been added as Special Assistant to the Head Coach.

“When we set out to assemble a staff, we were looking for A-plus talent and A-plus people, and that speaks to the individuals we added,” said Pierce. “These coaches embody what we’re looking for in terms of character and credibility, and will help us grow our program and our organization. They will be great teachers and mentors for the players they’ll be working with and great representatives for the Hawks.”

Hunt comes to Atlanta from the Dallas Mavericks, where he spent three seasons on Rick Carlisle’s staff. Prior to Dallas, Hunt was with the Denver Nuggets for five years, including serving as interim head coach for the final 23 games of the 2014-15 campaign.

Before his arrival in Denver, he helped the Cleveland Cavaliers to one of the most successful runs in franchise history, including reaching the NBA Finals in 2007, the Eastern Conference Finals in 2009, and winning a franchise-best 66 games in 2008-09. Hunt was also part of the Eastern Conference All-Star coaching staff in 2009.

Hunt spent one season (2004-05) with the Los Angeles Lakers following five years with the Houston Rockets (1999-2004), where he gained experience as a video coordinator, scout and assistant coach.

He has also coached on the collegiate and high school levels, beginning his coaching career at Temple (TX) High School before serving as an assistant coach at Incarnate Word University in San Antonio.

Hunt played four years at Baylor (1987-91), where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and a Master’s in Education. He played professionally in the Caribbean and Mexico.

In his second year with the Hawks, Jent has also spent time on the coaching staff of the Philadelphia 76ers (2003-04), Orlando Magic (2004-05, including a stint as interim head coach), Cleveland Cavaliers (2006-11) and Sacramento Kings (2013-14) as well as his alma mater, Ohio State University. He was head coach of the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA G League in 2015-16.

A 10-year pro as a player, Jent was a member of the 1994 NBA Champion Houston Rockets and also played for the New York Knicks during the 1996-97 season. He additionally spent five seasons in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) and played overseas in Australia, Italy, Spain and Greece.

Jent grew up in Sparta, NJ before playing four seasons for the Buckeyes, which included three consecutive NCAA tournament trips.

Foster spent the last four seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks as an assistant coach, after serving as player development coach for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2013-14.

Before entering the NBA coaching ranks, Foster worked two seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Texas-El Paso, his alma mater.

Selected with the 35th overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft, he played in 656 career games in 13 NBA seasons, including 33 games with the Hawks during the 1992-93 season. Foster also played for Washington, Milwaukee, Chicago, Minnesota, Utah, Seattle, the LA Lakers and Toronto.

Foster is a native of Oakland, CA, where he played in high school (Skyline) alongside Hall-of-Famer Gary Payton.

Garnett spent the last two seasons with the Phoenix Suns as Assistant Coach/Player Development Coordinator after working with the San Antonio Spurs as a player development and quality assurance assistant. He spent 2014-15 as head coach at Union Academy in Monroe, NC.

He entered coaching following a lengthy playing career, including time with the Boston Celtics (24 games in 1998-99), and internationally in Turkey, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Iran, Puerto Rico and Slovakia. He was also a member of the Belizean National Team in 2013.

A Los Angeles native, Garnett played collegiately at Santa Clara, where he teamed with Pierce and two-time NBA MVP and Hall of Fame guard Steve Nash. Garnett was named West Coast Conference Player of the Year after averaging 17.4 ppg as a senior in 1996-97.

Hill spent the last six seasons with the Orlando Magic, where he was most recently an assistant coach. He began his career with Orlando as Video Analyst/Opposition in 2012, and was later promoted to Manager of Advanced Scouting/Player Development.

He played at the University of Texas from 2006-11, where he earned his degree in corporate communications, after a decorated high school career at Southeast High School in Lincoln, NE. Following his senior season, he was named Nebraska’s Mr. Basketball and Gatorade Player of the Year.

Babcock spent the last two seasons with the Brooklyn Nets as Video Coordinator. Prior to that, he was with the Orlando Magic and was an assistant coach with the Erie BayHawks.

He has also been an assistant coach at Grand Valley State (MI), and a graduate assistant and special assistant at Michigan State.

A Minnesota native, Babcock earned his undergraduate degree in psychology from Wisconsin-Eau Claire and received a Master’s degree in kinesiology from Michigan State.

Babcock’s father, Rob, is a former NBA General Manager and his brother, Chris, is a player development coach with the 76ers. His uncles, Pete and Dave, are longtime NBA executives, with Pete having served as Hawks’ General Manager from 1990-2003.

Kevin Durant says he will stay with Warriors next season

The Warriors were an amazing team, then they added Kevin Durant, and now they’re a bit too amazing to handle. Though, most Warriors fans probably don’t mind. he team currently has a 3-0 NBA Finals lead against the Cavs. Kevin Durant has been fantastic. And will reportedly remain with the Warriors next season, per the Mercury News in reference to what Durant said on ESPN:

Durant’s current contract — a two-year $51-million deal he signed last summer — contains an opt-out clause after the first year. In April, ESPN reported that Durant would opt out and then sign a new deal with the Warriors as a free agent. Durant, 30, gave up almost $10 million in salary last summer so the Warriors could afford to keep Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston on the roster.

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Derrick Williams participates in Pistons mini-camp

Team mini-camps are typically for free agents who haven’t really proven themselves in the NBA yet. There are exceptions, of course. But generally, if you’ve been in the league for a while, having to participate in a free agent mini-camp isn’t a positive sign. Here’s Michigan Live reporting on the Pistons and Derrick Williams:

Seven years after being the second overall selection in the NBA draft, Derrick Williams participated this week in Detroit Pistons free-agent mini-camp, trying to work his way back into the league.

He worked out with 17 others at the Pistons practice facility, most with no NBA experience, several who played for the G League Grand Rapids Drive this past season.

It might have humbling for the 2010-11 Pac 10 player of the year at Arizona, a someone who the Minnesota Timberwolves took one pick after Kyrie Irving, ahead of players such as Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler, Kemba Walker and Isaiah Thomas.

But it’s part of the process that Williams hopes will lead to a free-agent contract or at least a training camp tryout with a team.

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Bryan Colangelo out as Sixers president of basketball operations

The 76ers’ Bryan Colangelo era, short as it was, is over.

The team announced Thursday that its embattled president of basketball operations resigned after a scandal involving secret Twitter accounts.

Colangelo was not at the Sixers facility Thursday, a day after sources said he was spotted at pre-draft workouts.

— Philly.com

The Philadelphia 76ers organization has accepted the resignation of President of Basketball Operations Bryan Colangelo, effective immediately. We appreciate Bryan’s many contributions during his time leading our basketball operations and thank him for the work he did in positioning the team for long-term success.

An independent investigation by New York-based law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP was conducted into certain anonymous social media accounts that posted information concerning the club, personnel, and related topics. It has become clear Bryan’s relationship with our team and his ability to lead the 76ers moving forward has been compromised.

— Sixers Press Release

As a result of our investigation, we do not believe that Mr. Colangelo established the Twitter accounts or posted content on those accounts. The evidence supports the conclusion that Ms. Barbara Bottini, Mr. Colangelo’s wife, established the Twitter accounts and posted content on those accounts. When interviewed, Ms. Bottini admitted establishing and operating the accounts. Forensic evidence corroborates her admissions.

We cannot conclude that Mr. Colangelo was aware of the Twitter accounts prior to the May 22 press inquiry. Mr. Colangelo denies any such awareness and we have not observed any forensic evidence establishing that he had knowledge of the Twitter accounts prior to that date. We note, however, that our investigation was limited and impeded by certain actions taken by Ms. Bottini, including her decision to delete the contents of her iPhone by executing a factory reset of the device prior to surrendering it for forensic review.

— The Investigation Team Hired by the Sixers

Nets announce additions to Performance Team

The Brooklyn Nets have announced three new additions to the Performance Team, joining Zach Weatherford, director of human performance, Dan Meehan, director of sport science and Sebastien Poirier, head athletic trainer.

Les Gelis has been named director of sports medicine and will begin in this role at the conclusion of his World Cup commitment with the Australian national team. With over 20 years of experience, Gelis comes to Brooklyn after most recently serving as head of physiotherapy for Football Federation Australia, a position he held since 2010. In that role, Gelis oversaw the physiotherapy departments of the Australian national football team, all FFA national teams and the national league. Previously, Gelis served as head of physiotherapy for the Manly Sea Eagles of the Australian National Rugby League and the South Melbourne Soccer Club. He worked two stints as an Olympic team physiotherapist for the Australian national football team, including at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Gelis earned a Bachelor of Science in physiotherapy and a Master of Science in sports physiotherapy from La Trobe University in Melbourne.

Stefania Rizzo has been named director of performance rehabilitation. Rizzo comes to Brooklyn from Fortius Sport & Health in Vancouver, where she most recently served as director of physiotherapy. Since 2006, Rizzo has also functioned as the lead physiotherapist for the Canadian national alpine ski team. In this role, Rizzo has worked over 40 international World Championships, World Cup Finals and the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics. Among other past positions, Rizzo has served as head of rehabilitation for the Buffalo Sabres and as a physiotherapist with the Canadian national snowboard team, the Canadian national women’s soccer team and BC Provincial Rugby. Rizzo earned Bachelor of Science degrees in biology and physiotherapy from the University of British Columbia and a Master of Clinical Science from the University of Western Ontario.

Daniel Liburd has been named head strength and conditioning coach. Prior to joining the Nets, Liburd spent nine years (2009-2017) with the Buffalo Bills as the team’s assistant strength and conditioning coach. During the 2017 NFL season, Liburd worked with the Pittsburgh Steelers in a similar strength and conditioning role. Other previous experience includes strength and conditioning positions with American International College and Springfield College. Liburd earned a Bachelor of Science in exercise science from Boston University and a Master of Science in human performance from Canisius College.

Dan Meehan has been promoted to the position of director of sport science, following two seasons as the team’s head strength and conditioning coach.

Sebastien Poirier has been elevated to the position of head athletic trainer. Poirier, who joined the organization in 2016, served the past two seasons as assistant athletic trainer.

Bucks hire Darvin Ham, Ben Sullivan, Taylor Jenkins, Charles Lee and Patrick St. Andrews as assistant coaches

The Milwaukee Bucks have named Darvin Ham, Taylor Jenkins, Charles Lee, Ben Sullivan and Patrick St. Andrews as assistant coaches on the staff of Head Coach Mike Budenholzer.

Additionally, Sean Sweeney has been retained by the Bucks as an assistant coach.

“I’m thrilled to have my staff together again as we work to help improve our players and build sustained success here in Milwaukee,” Budenholzer said. “I am also excited to work with Sean, who is highly thought of in the league. All six coaches are great people and each brings a variety of expertise and experience. They all possess a tremendous work ethic and have great track records in player development. I know our players will benefit from their coaching.”

Ham spent the last five seasons as an assistant coach with Atlanta, including the last two as the lead assistant under Budenholzer. He began his coaching career in 2008, first as an assistant and then as general manager and head coach of the New Mexico Thunderbirds of the NBA Development League. Ham joined the Los Angeles Lakers coaching staff in 2011 where he worked two seasons before joining the Hawks.

Ham played eight NBA seasons for six teams, including three years for the Bucks (1999-2002). He won an NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons in 2004. Ham played internationally in Spain, the Philippines and Puerto Rico before retiring from the NBA after the 2004-05 campaign.

Jenkins also spent the last five seasons as an assistant coach with Atlanta. Previously he served as the head coach of the Austin Toros of the NBA G League, the San Antonio Spurs affiliate. In 2012-13, Jenkins led the Toros to a first-round playoff victory over the Bakersfield Jam before falling to the Santa Cruz Warriors in the semifinals. Prior to being named head coach, Jenkins served as an assistant coach with the Toros the previous four seasons, including their championship season in 2012 and playoff appearances in 2009 and 2010. Before joining the Toros, Jenkins interned with the Spurs basketball operations department during the 2007-08 season.

Lee spent the previous four seasons as an assistant coach with Atlanta. Prior to joining the NBA ranks, he was an assistant coach for two years at Bucknell University, his alma mater. As a player, Lee helped guide the Bison to two straight Patriot League Championships and consecutive NCAA Tournament second round appearances (2005-06). After graduating with a degree in business management, the Gaithersburg, Md., native played professionally in Israel, Belgium and Germany.

Sullivan served as an assistant coach with Atlanta for the last four seasons. Before joining the Hawks, he worked in basketball development and as an assistant video coordinator with the San Antonio Spurs. He played collegiately at Cal-State Northridge and University of Portland, competing professionally in China, Germany and Chile following graduation. Sullivan joined the University of Portland’s coaching staff in 2009, then was an assistant coach at Lewis & Clark College in Portland before joining the Spurs.

In 2014-15, Ham, Jenkins, Lee and Sullivan were all part of Budenholzer’s Eastern Conference All-Star coaching staff, as the Hawks recorded a team-record 60 wins – including a team-best 19-game win streak – en route to the club’s first-ever appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals.

St. Andrews was named an assistant coach with Atlanta in 2017. He began his NBA career in 2013 with the Hawks as a seasonal assistant in basketball operations and moved to assistant video coordinator prior to the 2014-15 season. He was promoted to head video coordinator for the 2016-17 campaign. St. Andrews worked as an assistant coach for the Dominican Republic National Team for the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship in Mexico City. A two-year captain on the basketball team at Penn St. Behrend, St. Andrews earned bachelor’s degrees in Business Economics and International Business, and a master’s degree in Business Administration.

Sweeney returns to the Bucks bench for his fifth season and first under Budenholzer. Before joining the Bucks, he was an assistant coach in Brooklyn for one season and prior to that spent two seasons as the Nets assistant video coordinator.

Before entering the NBA ranks, Sweeney served as the video coordinator for the University of Northern Iowa, and previously held the position of director of basketball operations at the University of Evansville. He’s also held assistant coaching positions at Anoka-Ramsey Community College in Cambridge, Minn., and the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. A native of St. Paul, Minn., Sweeney played one season at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay before transferring home to the University of St. Thomas where he was a three-year starter and earned All-Conference honors as a senior in 2005-06.

Pelicans sign Alvin Gentry to contract extension

The New Orleans Pelicans and Head Coach Alvin Gentry have agreed to a contract extension. Gentry, the Pelicans’ head coach since 2015, will now be under contract through the 2020-21 season.

Gentry in 2017-18 led the Pelicans to one of the best seasons in team history, finishing the regular season with a 48-34 record and advancing to the Western Conference Semifinals for just the second time in franchise history. The 48 regular season wins were the third highest total in franchise history.

And team success continued in the postseason, as the Pelicans swept the Trail Blazers in four games during the first round, and in doing so became first team seeded sixth or lower to sweep a first-round playoff series since the 2001 Charlotte Hornets.

The Pelicans saw a 14-win increase in 2017-18 over their 2016-17 win total, the largest jump in the Western Conference, and the second largest in the NBA behind Philadelphia (24 games).

“I am extremely thankful to Mrs. Benson and the Pelicans organization for their support and confidence in my abilities to lead this team,” said Gentry. “Since day one, they have treated me like family and have provided us with the necessary resources to compete at the highest level. Mrs. Benson has been incredibly supportive of our coaching staff and players, and I couldn’t be happier to work for such an exceptional owner. I am excited for the great opportunities that are ahead for our organization and the City of New Orleans.”

Over 246 games as Pelicans head coach, Gentry has a record of 112-134 (.455).