HoopsHype.com Rumors

Jerry Zgoda: More A.T.: "I've supported Kurt since Day 1. I’m glad for him that it’s resolved one way or the other, so that he’s able to move on.” Twitter

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, Kurt Rambis 

Adrian Wojnarowski: Minnesota has officially fired Kurt Rambis as coach, league sources tell Y! Sports. Formal announcement expected today. Twitter

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, Kurt Rambis 

The Minnesota Timberwolves have fired Kurt Rambis as coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. The Wolves are expected to announce the dismissal early this afternoon, and general manager David Kahn may hold a news conference to discuss it. Yahoo! Sports

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, Kurt Rambis 

Two top candidates for the job include Portland assistant Bernie Bickerstaff and Milwaukee assistant Kelvin Sampson, league source told Yahoo! Sports. J.B. Bickerstaff, a T’wolves assistant, could be part of a succession plan with his father, Bernie. Yahoo! Sports

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

MN Timberwolves: The #Twolves announced the team has relieved head coach Kurt Rambis of his coaching duties #NBA Twitter

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, Kurt Rambis 

Adrian Wojnarowski: Wolves and Rambis expected to release statements soon. There's also a possibility of a Kahn news conference, which should be enertaining. Twitter

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, Kurt Rambis 

Adrian Wojnarowski: Kahn decided to fire coach prior to draft as Y! reported, but finally did today. Rambis on way to LA from Montana fishing trip with Phil Jax Twitter

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, Kurt Rambis 

Kurt Rambis hasn’t coached a game for the Timberwolves in nearly three months. He will never coach a game for them again. Despite technically still being under contract, Rambis has been informed that he need not be in Minnesota for the offseason – and this was the case even before the lockout. Sources say only two members of the Wolves’ coaching staff, J.B. Bickerstaff and Darrick Martin, have been asked to come to work at the team’s offices this summer. Everyone else can, you know, go on vacation – where Rambis, in particular, won’t have to spend his days staring at the writing on the wall. Sources have said there is no provision in Rambis’ contract that would’ve saved the Wolves money by waiting until after July 1 to officially fire him. Rambis is owed $4 million over the next two seasons regardless of when he is fired. CBSSports.com

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, Kurt Rambis 

But as Yahoo! Sports reports, Kahn had other ideas. The possibility of offering Rambis a reassignment within the basketball operations department has been discussed internally, though it is not believed to have been formally proposed to Rambis. It is beyond question that Rambis has no desire to accept such an arrangement. Sources say the former Lakers assistant has little use for Kahn as a basketball executive, much less one that he would continue to work for after being removed as coach. Kahn’s mishandling of Rambis’ firing – which still, inexplicably, hasn’t happened – is an embarrassment for the organization at a time when good things finally were starting to happen (Michael Beasley's citation for marijuana possession notwithstanding). Ricky Rubio is signed for next season – whenever next season is – and although Kahn had virtually nothing to do with it, it’s nonetheless an important moment for a franchise that has won a grand total of 32 games the past two seasons. CBSSports.com

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, Kurt Rambis 

Funny, Taylor is one of the owners who are most convinced that the NBA will not have a 2011-12 season, according to sources familiar with his position on the lockout. So maybe Taylor could send Rambis overseas to scout overage potential draft picks in the meantime, instead of paying him to do something more useful – like nothing. While we’re on the topic, sources say the Wolves expect a favorable ruling from the NBA office that they will be able to keep No. 57 pick Tanguy Nbombo despite a dispute over his age. Though information has come to light that Ngombo is 26 – and thus ineligible for the draft – sources say the Wolves have government documentation from multiple entities that Ngombo is, in fact, 21. The belief among some executives is that a team should not be punished if government documentation is inaccurate. CBSSports.com

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, Kurt Rambis 

Still unable to simply fire a coach he’s determined is done with the Minnesota Timberwolves, general manager David Kahn recently proposed that Kurt Rambis accept a reassignment within the franchise’s front office, league sources told Yahoo! Sports on Wednesday. Yahoo! Sports

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, David Kahn, Kurt Rambis 

The prospects of Rambis serving out the remaining two years and $4 million on his coaching deal so closely with Kahn in the front office holds little, if any, appeal to Rambis, sources said. Rambis has little respect for Kahn’s basketball acumen, and perhaps even less of a personal affinity for him. The two barely spoke over the final months of the regular season, and haven’t communicated much well into the offseason. Rambis has felt mistreated throughout the ongoing saga surrounding his future with the T’wolves, and prefers a finality to this endless public spectacle. Yahoo! Sports

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, David Kahn, Kurt Rambis 

Kahn had believed that Rambis’ contract allowed for a reassignment, sources said, although those familiar with the agreement believe that notion would’ve been legally contested. There’s been no communication between management and Rambis for several days, sources said, and the coach remains in a strange sort of limbo: He knows he’s done as coach, but he’s still collecting his check as management actively searches for his replacement. Yahoo! Sports

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, David Kahn, Kurt Rambis 

After initially raising the idea of a reassignment, sources said, Kahn has been less aggressive in its pursuit. With the idea more of a concept than a formal offer, Rambis hasn’t needed to officially reject the proposition. Inside and outside the organization, Kahn’s handling of Rambis’ inevitable dismissal is considered downright confounding. Yahoo! Sports

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, David Kahn, Kurt Rambis 

J.B. Bickerstaff is a popular choice among several T’wolves players, including star forward Kevin Love, sources said. Bickerstaff is in demand with several teams as a potential assistant coach. Yahoo! Sports

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, David Kahn, Kevin Love, Kurt Rambis, JB Bickerstaff 

Michael Beasley on Kurt Rambis: “I love Rambis, a great guy, a great coach, he knows a lot about the game. But at the same time, it’s a cutthroat business. I don’t want him to go anywhere but if he does, that’s the business.” Twitter

Minnesota Timberwolves, Michael Beasley, Coaching, Kurt Rambis 

Unless there's an 11th hour resolution between owners and players or unless they agree to a negotiating extension, the league's basketball operations will halt at midnight Thursday night. That's why Kurt Rambis still is coach, because of what everybody expects will be a lockout. This thing has dragged on forever simply because it's cheaper to keep him employed -- depending the specifics on his contract, he either doesn't get paid at all or just a portion of his $2 million-ish salary (and it's probably not at all because would a portion be worth all the embarrassment this has caused the organization?) -- than to fire him and pay him off. Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, Lockout, Kurt Rambis 

Perhaps the lockout's arrival will persuade the two sides to come to some kind of financial agreement. Then again, maybe not... The question is, how long will this go on before the Wolves name a replacement and give a new coach at least some time to prepare for the lockout's end, whenever that might be. The longer the Wolves go on with Rambis as coach, the more Glen Taylor presumably is predicting the lockout will be a long one, perhaps even with the entire season lost. Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, Lockout, Kurt Rambis 

Quin Snyder, the Sixers' head of player development, appears ready to join the Lakers. Snider last week interviewed with new Lakers coach Mike Brown, and one NBA executive with knowledge of the situation believes Snyder will join the Lakers' staff. Snider denied a report claiming he interviewed with Timberwolves general manager David Kahn for Minnesota’s head coaching position. The catch is that Kurt Rambis still holds the job — although Rambis’ firing is thought to be imminent. CSNPhilly.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Philadelphia 76ers, Mike Brown, David Kahn, Kurt Rambis, Quin Snyder 

Timberwolves president of basketball operations David Kahn has yet to inform coach Kurt Rambis if he'll keep his job, but Kahn appears to be taking steps to find a replacement. St. Paul Pioneer Press

Minnesota Timberwolves, Coaching, Kurt Rambis