HoopsHype.com Rumors

Buchanan said Minnesota has not asked for permission to speak to assistant coach Bernie Bickerstaff. Several media reports this past weekend suggested that the Timberwolves – who still have not fired coach Kurt Rambis, as many expect – would hire Bickerstaff and have him run the team for several seasons, then hand the reins over to son J.B., a current Minnesota assistant. Oregonian

Minnesota Timberwolves, Portland Trail Blazers, Coaching, Bernie Bickerstaff, Kurt Rambis 

Meanwhile, Kahn is going ahead with his plan to bring in Bickerstaff, the veteran NBA coach and executive, and father of J.B. Bickerstaff, a highly regarded Timberwolves' assistant. The plan is for Bernie to hand the job off to his son in a year or two. But friends of J.B. have been urging him this past week to leave the franchise, because it's never going to get better with Kahn in charge. That's hard to argue, looking at his body of work since assuming GM duties in 2009. New York Daily News

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, Bernie Bickerstaff 

The hot rumor Thursday was that, as a money-saving move with an NBA lockout looming, the Timberwolves will promote assistant J.B. Bickerstaff to succeed Kurt Rambis as coach. The plan would be for Bickerstaff, 32, a former Gophers guard, to be head coach on a short-term basis, but that could be extended depending on success. His father, former NBA head coach Bernie Bickerstaff, who turns 68 in February, would be hired as an assistant and mentor. St. Paul Pioneer Press

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, Bernie Bickerstaff, Kurt Rambis 

Meanwhile, the other word circulating in basketball circles was that Sam Mitchell and Kelvin Sampson also have been among considerations to replace Rambis. Rambis' firing appears imminent. A little birdie says Mitchell, the former Timberwolves player who was the NBA's coach of the year in 2006-07 with the Toronto Raptors, had a lengthy, informal meeting with a top Wolves official after the season. St. Paul Pioneer Press

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, Sam Mitchell, Bernie Bickerstaff, Kelvin Sampson, Kurt Rambis 

Mike Wells: Kahn is not allowin teams to talk to JB Bickerstaff. I see y now, @Adrian Wojnarowski reports JB could eventually end up as Wolves coach Twitter

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, Bernie Bickerstaff 

Ray Richardson: Rambis reps still have not been told that he's been fired--if he's been fired. Kahn telling Wolves people he has not let Rambis go. Hmmm! Twitter

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, Bernie Bickerstaff, Kurt Rambis 

Bernie Bickerstaff, an assistant coach with the Portland Trail Blazers, will be one of the primary focuses of the Wolves’ search, sources said. Bickerstaff’s son, J.B., had been an assistant on Rambis’ staff, and one scenario could have J.B. serving under his father as a coach-in-waiting. Bickerstaff has been the head coach of four teams, including the Charlotte Bobcats, Washington Wizards, Denver Nuggets and Seattle SuperSonics. His career record is 414-512. Yahoo! Sports

Minnesota Timberwolves, Portland Trail Blazers, Coaching, Bernie Bickerstaff 

Jerry Zgoda: Romar tells SeaTimes,"It would be a little arrogant of me to say I have a comment" b/c he hasn't been contacted or knows if there's interest Twitter

Minnesota Timberwolves, Portland Trail Blazers, Coaching, Bernie Bickerstaff 

Jason Quick: McMillan says Blazers new coaching staff will become official early next week: Buck Williams, Bernie Bickerstaff, Bob Ociepka Twitter

Trail Blazers head coach Nate McMillan will announce this week additions to his coaching staff, two of which are believed to be Bernie Bickerstaff and Bob Ociepka. McMillan said one or more assistants have been picked, but need to be finalized this week by team president Larry Miller. One candidate is believed to be Jim Lynam. Oregonian

Three other names linked to the job have been discounted by various team sources — former Suns owner and Team USA chairman Jerry Colangelo, ex-Charlotte Executive VP Bernie Bickerstaff and fired Portland GM Kevin Pritchard. So the Nets await word from the free agents. They met with James, one of six teams to do so, and then Bosh and Wade Thursday. There were no return meetings with James, who attended a Nike basketball camp yesterday in his hometown Akron. "We made our presentation and we’re waiting," said one Nets team exec who indicated the Nets would likely wait for next year’s attractive free agents, rather than overpay mediocre talent this year. New York Post

New Jersey Nets, Kevin Pritchard, Jerry Colangelo, Bernie Bickerstaff 

As everyone knows, the worst thing you can do is bring in a GM after the coach is already in place. The former does not easily follow the latter – indeed, he hires him, typically. The only way to keep them in sync is to make sure they have a chemistry, and only Thorn can be trusted to make that determination. He told us he will influence the selection. But Avery Johnson should also approve of the selection, and we’re told he’s already made his choice: Bernie Bickerstaff, who coincidentally brought Avery into the league 18 years ago. Newark Star-Ledger

New Jersey Nets, Avery Johnson, Bernie Bickerstaff 

Jason Quick: Nate McMillan won't comment on coaches until he fills staff. Bernie Bickerstaff appears to be a lock and Jim Lynam has been interviewed Twitter

Portland Trail Blazers, Coaching, Bernie Bickerstaff