HoopsHype.com Rumors

Preferring a small staff to the one he inherited from previous coach Mike Brown, current Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni will not retain assistants Chuck Person and Bernie Bickerstaff for the 2013-14 season. Fellow 2012-13 assistant Eddie Jordan recently accepted the head coaching job at Rutgers University, leaving three assistants on D’Antoni’s staff: Steve Clifford, Darvin Ham and Mike’s brother Dan D’Antoni. Lakers.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Chuck Person, Coaching, Mike D'Antoni, Bernie Bickerstaff, Darvin Ham, Eddie Jordan, Dan D'Antoni, Steve Clifford 

Mike Bresnahan: Dan D'Antoni, Steve Clifford, Darvin Ham and Phil Handy still on Lakers' coaching staff. Alvin Gentry would be logical hire as well. Twitter @Mike_Bresnahan

Los Angeles Lakers, Coaching, Darvin Ham, Alvin Gentry, Dan D'Antoni, Steve Clifford, Phil Handy 

Phil Jackson wasn't the only one who got a late-night call last month. It was early compared with the one Dan D'Antoni received. Mike D'Antoni's brother was sleeping peacefully in Charlotte, N.C., when the phone rang at 3:30 a.m. It was his son, Nick. He had some bewildering news. "Dad, you're going to L.A.," he said. Dan D'Antoni didn't believe it. "Mike had told me his name was being bantered about, but he said, 'We're not going to get it. Phil [Jackson] is going to get it,'" Dan D'Antoni said. "I told my son he was out of his mind. He said, 'No, it's all over the news.' I got up, went in there to the TV and there it was. I couldn't go back to sleep. I called my son the next day and said, 'You could have waited until 7. I'm dead tired now.'" Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Lakers, Coaching, Mike D'Antoni, Dan D'Antoni 

Joining the Lakers' staff was the latest turn in an unorthodox career for Dan D'Antoni. He left behind 28 years of coaching at Socastee High in Myrtle Beach, S.C., to be on his brother's staff with the Phoenix Suns in 2004. He was barely part of it. He was the fourth of four assistants. He sat behind the bench for games. But he watched, learned and studied the intricacies of his brother's offense. Now he's Mike D'Antoni's most important sounding board on the court. He's also a caretaker while Mike D'Antoni recovers from knee-replacement surgery he had Oct. 31. They live together in a rented Manhattan Beach home. "You've seen the series 'Two and a Half Men'? We're 'Two Half Men,'" Dan D'Antoni quipped. "I've got to drive everywhere, I've got to carry his bag, I've got to open the daggone door. Even the coaching part, I've had to be a little more of a voice than I would have been if he had his vitality. It's still hard on him until he gets his strength back, which will probably happen in a month or so." Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Lakers, Coaching, Mike D'Antoni, Dan D'Antoni 

Mike Trudell: Mike D'Antoni & brother Dan are out on the floor coaching practice today. No crutch for Mike. Right now: a drill finished w/alley-oops. Twitter @LakersReporter

Los Angeles Lakers, Coaching, Mike D'Antoni, Dan D'Antoni 

The Los Angeles Lakers have hired Dan D’Antoni to serve as an assistant coach, it was announced today by Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak. NBA.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Coaching, Dan D'Antoni 

Question: Will D'Antoni add anybody to the staff if he does part ways with Bickerstaff or any of the rest of the assistant coaches? Kupchak: "I’m not sure he’s going to add people. I think he’s going to add his brother (Dan D'Antoni) and then evaluate the present staff and that may take a little bit of time, so that’s kind of where it is right now." Sulia

Los Angeles Lakers, Coaching, Mike D'Antoni, Bernie Bickerstaff, Dan D'Antoni 

A few more tidbits following an early Tuesday morning interview with Mike D’Antoni, the Lakers’ new head coach: He says his brother, Dan, will be joining the Lakers’ coaching staff but the rest of the staff should remain intact. He hasn’t talked to defensive-minded coach Nate McMillan, but he says he intends to this summer, although he wouldn’t be surprised if McMillan is head coach by that time elsewhere. In D’Antoni’s first start as an NBA player for the Kansas City-Omaha Kings his assignment was to cover Jerry West. “I was the biggest Lakers’ fan because of him,’’ says D’Antoni, who grew up in Mullens, W.Va. Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Lakers, Coaching, Mike D'Antoni, Nate McMillan, Dan D'Antoni 

D’Antoni, who still lives in Westchester, underwent major knee-replacement surgery 2 1/2 weeks ago and will need doctor’s clearance to get on the bench. Interim coach Bernie Bickerstaff said D’Antoni is expected to fly to L.A. tomorrow for his introductory press conference. D’Antoni is expected to bring in his former Knicks and Phoenix assistants, Phil Weber and Dan D’Antoni, to L.A. “I think it’s a great opportunity for him,’’ Dan D’Antoni told The Post. “New York was a great place to be and this is one of the top franchises in the league. It’s top end. Mike’s a good coach and they’re good players.’’ New York Post

Los Angeles Lakers, Coaching, Mike D'Antoni, Bernie Bickerstaff, Dan D'Antoni, Phil Weber 

Ken Berger: D'Antoni's brother, Dan, viewed as a lock for staff. D'Antoni also high on former Knicks assistant Kenny Atkinson, but he's with Hawks. Twitter @KBergCBS

Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Lakers, Coaching, Mike D'Antoni, Dan D'Antoni, Kenny Atkinson 

David Aldridge: Dan D'Antoni, Mike D'Antoni's older brother and longtime assistant with him in PHX and New York, will be joining him in LA, per source. Twitter @daldridgetnt

Los Angeles Lakers, Coaching, Mike D'Antoni, Dan D'Antoni 

Sam Amick: Knicks assistants Phil Weber and Dan D'Antoni gone as well, source says. Ties to Mike, obviously. Twitter

New York Knicks, Coaching, Dan D'Antoni, Phil Weber 

A source said Mike D'Antoni's assistant coaches -- Dan D'Antoni, Phil Weber, Herb Williams and Kenny Atkinson -- have signed contract extensions for next season, though the club has not and will not announce it. D'Antoni has plans to add another defensive assistant to the staff. New York Post

New York Knicks, Coaching, Mike D'Antoni, Dan D'Antoni, Phil Weber, Kenny Atkinson, Herb Williams 

The team is also expected to re-sign three assistant coaches — Phil Weber, Dan D’Antoni and Kenny Atkinson — whose contracts all expire Thursday. Herb Williams’s contract expires later this summer, along with the contracts of several scouts and front-office personnel. New York Times

New York Knicks, Coaching, Dan D'Antoni, Phil Weber, Kenny Atkinson