HoopsHype.com Rumors

David Baumann: Marcin Gortat urged PHX to get Stan Van Gundy, but there was no development. "I don't think they looked outside the organization," SVG said. Twitter @DavidBaumann33

Phoenix Suns, Marcin Gortat, Coaching, Stan Van Gundy 

Why are you sitting on your deck right now while Dwight Howard is in L.A.? Stan Van Gundy: Two separate questions. I think Dwight had decided before last season started — maybe even before then — that he was going to leave Orlando. USA Today Sports

Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, Trade, Dwight Howard, Stan Van Gundy 

Q: Do you think he really knew what he wanted? Stan Van Gundy: I think he might have known. He had a great fondness for Orlando, the fans and the way people treated him. I think he might've wanted a different environment, a big city. He's a young guy and I think he was conflicted. It was hard for him. Dwight doesn't like to disappoint people. That's one of things that sort of clouded the situation and made it as messy as it was. He's not the kind of guy to just say, "I want the hell out of here.'' With me, the situation wasn't good for our team. There was a lot of speculation, first about (Howard possibly) leaving. As a team, our guys dealt with it well. Before he got hurt, we had one of the top five or six records in the league. The distractions kept amping. The story got out that Dwight asked for me to be fired. Before the All-Star break, ESPN reported that the Magic had told Dwight that, at the end of the season, he could decide whether (general manager) Otis (Smith) and I came back. USA Today Sports

Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, Trade, Dwight Howard, Stan Van Gundy 

Stan Van Gundy: I had some real disagreements with (Magic CEO) Alex Martins. Otis and I were on the same page and I didn't have any problems with Dwight. I had problems with how our organization approached the situation, how they decided to cater to (Howard) in ways that I thought were counter-productive for our team. I thought we should have dealt with some of the rumors (about his coaching future). I made it known that it wasn't a matter of my fate. They could have ended all the speculation and fired me right then — I said that to them. That stops the speculation and gets you back to basketball. They wouldn't do anything about it. USA Today Sports

Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, Trade, Dwight Howard, Stan Van Gundy, Alex Martins 

Stan Van Gundy: When I (publicly) confirmed what I knew that (Howard) had asked for me to be fired, I thought, "The story dies." We didn't get to find out because Dwight played only two more games. I've been asked if I had any regrets about what I said. My only regret was that I didn't bring things to a head a lot earlier. If you're going to coach, your responsibility is to do the best for your team. I presented (management) with the option of getting rid of me. I wasn't trying to save my job. When I (publicly) confirmed Dwight (tried to fire him), I knew it wasn't the best move for me to keep my job. But if you're going to coach just to keep your job, you're not going to be very good. USA Today Sports

Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, Trade, Dwight Howard, Stan Van Gundy 

Most overrated player today? Stan Van Gundy: Jeremy Lin (of the New York Knicks). He's not a guy who should be third in the (All-Star) voting. I never thought (Nets point guard) Deron Williams was overrated but right now people still look at him as one of the top two or three point guards in the league. He hasn't been that (in recent seasons). USA Today Sports

Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets, Deron Williams, Stan Van Gundy, Jeremy Lin 

Stan Van Gundy: There will be a big part of me that always will want to coach. But my family deserves to have veto power. They sacrificed. When we moved here (from Miami in 2007) my oldest daughter was going to be a sophomore in high school. She was pissed. I think she has forgiven me by now. I felt bad for her but I needed the job. It would have to be a place where I came home and said, "What do you think of such-and-such city?" I don't know if that's out there. Q: Could it be in, say, Milwaukee? Stan Van Gundy: We've done our time in Wisconsin. We spent three years there (from 1992-95 when Van Gundy coached Wisconsin). We loved Madison but when you've lived like this, and lived in Miami, I don't know that we're going back to winters. It's funny because my wife is from Vermont. But now, if it drops below 70 degrees, she's too cold. USA Today Sports

Milwaukee Bucks, Coaching, Stan Van Gundy 

But you are going to coach again, right? Stan Van Gundy: You know what? Everyone tells me that. I miss it. So does my brother (ABC analyst Jeff Van Gundy). Same thing — family thing. You get to the point where it can't be all about you. Q: Options? Stan Van Gundy: I'm sort of enjoying new things. I am a lot more involved in the community. . . . I can support things my wife is doing. USA Today Sports

Coaching, Stan Van Gundy, Jeff Van Gundy 

How would you feel about a temporary Brooklyn address? Stan Van Gundy: My brother and I believe the same thing — if somebody already has a job (they won't campaign for it). P.J. (Carleismo) has the (Nets) job. I know, like and respect P.J.. If it were the off-season, I would listen to (overtures from NBA teams). But I don't know. I've only been out of it six or seven months. I'm not ready to make that decision and just jump back in, like what Andy Reid did (with the Kansas City Chiefs). USA Today Sports

Coaching, Stan Van Gundy 

Would you be interested in coaching (Dwight Howard) again? Stan Van Gundy: If I were coaching, and he were available, I would tell my GM, "That is a guy you want." He's smart, he defends — he does a lot of things. (Howard) would have to answer this question: Would he want to play for me again? That was a definite issue. I told him at the time that I don't have any problem if an organization says, "We don't think this is working. Dwight's our star. We want someone he feels more comfortable with." What is not fine is what (the Magic) let it become. USA Today Sports

Coaching, Dwight Howard, Stan Van Gundy 

Stan Van Gundy: I was disappointed the ESPN (offer) fell through because I was going to do their studio show (until the deal fell apart). (But) my brother said, "You're not going to enjoy doing a (studio) show.'' Q: Do you believe you were submarined out of that job? Stan Van Gundy: I'm pretty sure I was by David. It's funny. People say it all the time that when an opportunity closes, you end up in a better place. It happened to me in Wisconsin. I lasted one season and got fired. I was 36 and absolutely depressed — like I just blew the best opportunity I ever will have in my life. A few months later, I'm in the NBA. (The ESPN job) would have been more money but I would have been basically flying to LA all the time. Now I work Wednesdays, a little on Fridays and do a college game on a Saturday every couple of weeks. I stay in touch with the game and I'm having fun with it. USA Today Sports

Coaching, Media, Stan Van Gundy, David Stern 

Why do you see Stern's footprints? Stan Van Gundy: (ESPN) contacted me – they drove the whole thing. All of a sudden, it came to a stop. Whether it was Stern directly, the league office making a call or someone at the top at ESPN . . . There's no question the comments I've made about David Stern kept them from hiring me. I said things that pissed him off. USA Today Sports

Coaching, Stan Van Gundy, David Stern 

Stan Van Gundy: From a former coach's selfish standpoint, I hope (commissioner-in-waiting) Adam Silver will treat them with greater respect. That was at the heart of why I had problems with Stern. I don't think he treated coaches with much respect. You (would) go to those coaches' meetings and he was very condescending. I'm certainly far from the only (coach) with those sentiments. USA Today Sports

Coaching, Stan Van Gundy, Adam Silver 

We anoint you Commissioner For A Day. First act? Stan Van Gundy: I think (Stern) had the right idea with our last lockout (regarding) this runaway train of money. It had to stop at some point. It's hard because players aren't going to want to give back. Selling advertising on jerseys is preferable to keep jacking up prices on the fans. I remember moving to northern California (as a boy) in 1968. My dad was a high school coach. We could afford to go see the Warriors. If you measured then the cost of a pro basketball ticket to a movie, it's not anywhere near what it is now. Maybe that train has left the station. USA Today Sports

Stan Van Gundy, David Stern 

Yet privately, they still monitor Howard's play and the reports that he's getting along with Bryant like he got along with Stan Van Gundy. It didn't take long for Howard to air his true feelings about Kobe, his whining wrapped inside his stated admiration for the lovefest going on next door with the Clippers. ESPN.com

Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Free Agency, Dwight Howard, Stan Van Gundy 

P.J. Carlesimo is wearing the “interim” tag well, making the most out of an unexpected opportunity since taking over for Avery Johnson. As candidates like Phil Jackson and Stan Van Gundy take their names out of the running for the Brooklyn job — and as the Nets keep winning — Carlesimo is earning the confidence from key players. “I don’t know how much it matters (getting the interim tag removed) to P.J., but I don’t look at him as an interim,” Joe Johnson told the Daily News. “He’s our guy right now. I have 100% faith in him. I don’t look at him as, ‘He’s just going to be here for a little while.’ I’m figuring he’s the coach.” New York Daily News

Brooklyn Nets, Phil Jackson, Coaching, Stan Van Gundy, PJ Carlesimo 

In an NBC Sports Radio interview last night, Stan Van Gundy again poured cold water on any likelihood of him taking the Nets’ head coaching job in the future. “I just don’t think that’s a place [my family] would relocate to at this point,” Van Gundy said. New York Post

Brooklyn Nets, Coaching, Stan Van Gundy 

So how do you get out of this hell, he was asked. “You know, I don’t know,” Van Gundy admitted. “I don’t know if it’s a trade, a free-agent thing, but I do know this: you build a team around certain people, and then you find complimentary parts. There’s been no one to even build around there. There’s certainly nobody on that roster now you can build around. “I think maybe they thought it was gonna be John Wall – maybe they still think it is. I think there’s a lot of people in the league – I’d certainly be one that would share this opinion – I don’t think John Wall’s good enough to be the guy that you build around. I think he’s got great speed and quickness, but point guard is a decision-making position. That’s what makes you great as a point guard, is your decision-making. I haven’t seen any indication that John Wall is a great decision-maker.” Washington Post

Washington Wizards, John Wall, Stan Van Gundy 

Stan Van Gundy still exchanges friendly text messages with the player who he once claimed wanted him fired. Van Gundy will tell Dwight Howard good luck before a game, or inform the star center that he played well after a solid performance for the Lakers. Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Lakers, Dwight Howard, Stan Van Gundy 

Howard has sent more than thanks to his former coach. He also passed along some thoughts on his new team's primary shortcoming. "The only thing he's really gotten into was," Van Gundy said Friday in a phone interview, "he wants their defense to be better." Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Lakers, Dwight Howard, Stan Van Gundy