NBA Rumors: Buzz Surrounding Coaching Searches and NBA Draft
With the NBA playoffs still in full swing and a slight lull before the NBA draft becomes the talk of the sport, the rumors at the moment tend to center on the many coaching vacancies around the league and a few draft strategies that have leaked.
Let's break down some of the NBA rumors currently making the rounds.
Coaching Searches
There are a lot of big coaching names available, or perhaps soon to be available—cough, cough, Tom Thibodeau, cough—but at least two teams could be resisting the allure of a splashy signing like Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson or Scott Brooks.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports details one such team:
"Scott Skiles has emerged as the strong frontrunner to become head coach of the Orlando Magic, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Magic general manager Rob Hennigan has discussed the opening with several possible candidates, but Skiles has clearly separated himself in the process, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Although Orlando has thus far shown no inclination to rush into a hiring, discussions could soon advance into contract negotiations, league sources said.
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Skiles has spent time in Phoenix, Chicago and Milwaukee as a head coach and has a record of 443-433, reaching the conference semifinals once each with Phoenix and Chicago. His veteran presence would perhaps be just what the doctor ordered for a young but talented Orlando squad.
Meanwhile, the New Orleans Pelicans have been linked to ESPN broadcaster and former coach Jeff Van Gundy, but Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders is hearing the team is likely to go in a different direction:
Van Gundy would certainly be a sexier candidate than Alvin Gentry, but to this point, he hasn't confirmed any interest in coaching the Pelicans.
"I have too much respect for the coaching profession and the sanctity of a job search to publicly speak about any job openings," he said during an ESPN media call last week, per Marc Stein. "That's really not my style. So I'll just leave it as I've said many times."
Gentry has played a big part in Golden State's ascension this season, however, and is a strong candidate in his own right. It certainly appears that the New Orleans gig—in no small part due to Anthony Davis' presence on the team—is the hot job on the market right now.
NBA Draft
Oh, how the Philadelphia Sixers frustrate their fans.
The team, which has made a habit in recent years of trading away good players for draft picks and simply taking the best player on the board, may be up to their old tricks once again in June, at least if what Derek Bodner of USA Today is hearing comes to fruition:
While Kristaps Porzingis is a tantalizing prospect, the Sixers desperately need help at guard and on the wing, and with D'Angelo Russell likely to be available at No. 3—a silky-smooth shooter and natural scorer who seems a nice fit in Philadelphia—Sixers fans would likely be frustrated if the team passes on him.
Of course, it does seem that Porzingis is a better fit as a stretch 4 next to either Joel Embiid or Nerlens Noel than Embiid and Noel would be paired together down low. Noel may have upside as a 4 in the future, but for now, he appears much more comfortable at center, which is the position Embiid will fill upon his return next season.
So if the Sixers were to try and trade, say, Noel to get back into the first six or seven picks to select Porzingis, it wouldn't be shocking.
Of course, there is also the fact that the team still has Dario Saric set to join it for the 2016-17 season, a player who can play the 3 but really is most effective playing power forward. That means the Sixers could have a glut of power forwards a year from now and not enough positions to play them.
But general manager Sam Hinkie will likely take the player he feels is the top talent, not the top need, and if that player is Porzingis at No. 3, well, he won't hesitate to make that pick.
And Philly fans won't hesitate to question the heck out of it, either.
