NBA Rumors: Penny Hardaway Expected to Get HC Interviews; Juwan Howard Uninterested
Michigan men's basketball coach Juwan Howard has no plans on leaving his alma mater for the NBA at this point in his career.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the 48-year-old has been telling franchises he's "not interested" in moving on from college ball and won't participate in any discussions on the matter. Memphis coach Penny Hardaway, however, is expected to get some traction for an NBA job, though it's unclear what level of interest teams have in him or whether he'd be open to leaving.
Hardaway, 49, took over the Tigers program in 2018, compiling a 63-32 record over three seasons.
As of Wednesday, Hardaway was at work lobbying Memphis to hire Larry Brown—the only head coach to win both an NBA and NCAA title—to join the Tigers as an assistant. It's unclear which teams might want to interview Hardaway.
The Boston Celtics, Portland Trail Blazers, Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic are all searching for a new coach while the Washington Wizards have yet to determine the fate of coach Scott Brooks, who is now out of contract.
Hardaway played his best years with the Magic from 1993-99. His son, Jayden, currently plays for him at Memphis as a redshirt junior.
Howard just completed his second season coaching the Wolverines, leading the program to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2018. According to 247 Sports, Michigan has the top recruiting class in the nation for 2021 led by five-star prospects Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabate.
The Wolverines will be expected to contend for both a Big Ten and NCAA title next season as Howard looks to improve upon his 42-17 record.
The NBA will have to wait a bit longer before it tries to lure the 20-year veteran back to the league.
