Pelicans fire Alvin Gentry
Adrian Wojnarowski: New Orleans has dismissed coach Alvin Gentry, sources tell @_andrew_lopez and me.
NBA Rumor: Alvin Gentry Hot Seat?
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If it happens, though, here’s one scenario worth remembering: Mike D’Antoni, the Houston Rockets coach who will be a free agent this summer and who worked with Griffin during those Seven-Seconds-or-Less Phoenix Suns days of old, comes to usher Zion Williamson into Year No. 2 of his career while the Pelicans look to upgrade their offense (they were 16th in offensive rating this season; D’Antoni is an offensive mastermind).
As for Gentry, I’d be very surprised at this point if he’s back. There are very strong signs that Griffin would prefer a change here, but you’re right about the serious financial factor — we’re talking more than $5 million for the right to put someone new in that seat.
Alvin Gentry about to be fired?
The worst-kept secret in the NBA is that Gentry’s time with the Pelicans won’t last much longer. Names of potential replacements have already been floated in the media, and the season isn’t even over yet.
The most obvious area where a drastic change could be made immediately is in the coaching ranks. Gentry has been on the hot seat practically since the day he arrived in New Orleans, and when a team hires a new executive, it’s usually a matter of time before the boss gets antsy and decides to make a change. The worst-kept secret in the NBA is that Gentry’s time with the Pelicans won’t last much longer. Names of potential replacements have already been floated in the media, and the season isn’t even over yet.
Tyronn Lue, Jason Kidd options for Pelicans?
How about Alvin Gentry and the New Orleans Pelicans? Executive VP David Griffin and Pelicans ownership have a decision to make with a year left on Gentry’s contract, sources said. Consider two relationships Griffin has back to his front-office days in Cleveland and Phoenix, respectively, if there’s a change in New Orleans: LA Clippers assistant Ty Lue and Los Angeles Lakers assistant Jason Kidd, sources said.
How about “what is Alvin Gentry’s future?” Despite the fact that Gentry and GM David Griffin go way back to their days together in Phoenix, all season long we’ve heard mutterings that the Pels’ new front office thinks they might be able to do better. The rumblings were particularly strong during the 6-22 start, but even during the playoff push, it hasn’t abated. Gentry is one of the most well-liked people in the entire NBA and is popular locally and with ownership, so a change would be a considerable expenditure of Griffin’s political capital. The COVID-19 situation adds another layer as well — can they absorb eating the final year on Gentry’s contract and paying two coaches next season, in a year when the team is already likely to lose money?
It would be unfair to place all the blame for the team’s early-season struggles on Gentry’s shoulders, but the fanbase hasn’t been shy about sharing its frustrations with some of his decisions along the way. Gentry is a beloved figure in the locker room and throughout the organization, but again, Griffin will have to face a crucial point in this rebuilding process over the summer. Making a move without a clear upgrade available wouldn’t make much sense, but there’s no question coaches will be lining up for an opportunity to lead this talented roster.
It would be unfair to place all the blame for the team’s early-season struggles on Gentry’s shoulders, but the fanbase hasn’t been shy about sharing its frustrations with some of his decisions along the way. Gentry is a beloved figure in the locker room and throughout the organization, but again, Griffin will have to face a crucial point in this rebuilding process over the summer. Making a move without a clear upgrade available wouldn’t make much sense, but there’s no question coaches will be lining up for an opportunity to lead this talented roster.
Will Guillory: Alvin Gentry said he isn’t concerned about his job status after a franchise-record 12th straight loss. Said his focus in on controlling what he can control.
A source with knowledge of the Pelicans’ front office thinking made it clear that the rash of injuries is seen as a significant reason to give Gentry and his staff some cover and, eventually, a chance to coach this team once it gets healthy. And while sources say the Pelicans coaches are concerned about their fate here, there are three factors beyond the injury situation that are working in their favor:
The money will always play a part, of course, and that Gentry had his team option for 2020-21 picked up in mid-June means it would not be cheap to let him go. A source tells The Athletic that he’s owed more than $5 million for that season.
I understand the fans who don’t want to hear that when they see their team losing by almost 50. It isn’t wrong to feel that way. But from what I understand — and things could change drastically after the worst regular-season loss in franchise history — Gentry still has a great relationship with ownership and with executive vice president David Griffin.
I don’t think this loss is enough to convince Griffin and owner Gayle Benson that it’s time for a coaching change, but if things don’t change, and soon, Gentry’s days could be quickly numbered. “We control our own destiny. We’ve got to be the ones that compete. We’ve got to be the ones that play hard,” Gentry said. “Obviously, we’re struggling right now. And to be honest with you, Zion is not coming in as the cavalry. We’ve got to play good basketball. … It’s unacceptable the way we’re playing right now. It’s just unacceptable.
Andrew Lopez: Griffin: Keeping Alvin Gentry was a no-brainer after we talked.
Former Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks GM Danny Ferry, a consultant for the Pelicans, and assistant GM David Booth are candidates to become interim GM, league sources said. For now, coach Alvin Gentry and his staff are safe, sources said. The organization has been pleased how he’s navigated the team under difficult circumstances this season, and he’s expected to finish out the season, sources said.
Was it important to get a statement from ownership this summer knowing where you stand? What’s been their message to you? Alvin Gentry: It’s really, in all honesty, one of those things I never worry about. I go on about my day every day like I’m going to be here long-term, because it’s a decision that I don’t have any bearing on. So I don’t spend any time on it. I spend my time trying to figure out the best way to coach the team and figure out how can we be better and how can we improve. That’s where all my energy is. I’ve never been a guy that worried about things I didn’t have any control over.
The following is a statement from New Orleans Pelicans Owner Tom Benson and Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Mickey Loomis: “After careful and thorough review of basketball operations, we have made the determination that the best course of action as we move forward into the 2017-18 season is to continue under the leadership of General Manager Dell Demps and Head Coach Alvin Gentry.”
“We will continue to evaluate important roles on both the administrative and coaching staffs which will be resolved at the appropriate time. Our organizational expectations and goals have not changed and all of our efforts are focused on putting together a playoff caliber roster entering training camp and ultimately into the season,” said Benson. “The end result as we move forward – playoffs and winning a championship for our fans.”
Scott Kushner: Alvin Gentry told Woj: “I feel like I’ll be back” with #Pelicans next season. Full quote: pic.twitter.com/XkS8lrInCC
Gentry, Demps and various league sources have all said it’s a “day-to-day” situation, indicating there’s no pressure from the calendar to choose when the team will make a firm decision about whether to keep the Pelicans’ structure in place or move in a new direction for 2017-18.
So, the overarching question remains what Loomis, Benson and Pelicans’ upper management believe is the highest priority and if they see a path to success with the current power structure in place, even if that structure stays in place for the short term. There are those within the organization who have offered a positive stance for stability at this critical juncture. And at this point, there’s no telling when the decision will be released.
“I walk in here every day excited about my job,” Demps said on April 14. “I don’t ever feel the pressure or anything like that. “Right now, we’re in evaluation mode. We’re going to sit back and meet with Alvin. We’re going to sit back and go over the whole season. I think we’ve had a lot of challenges this year. But I do like the direction and path that we’re headed (on).”
But with just a 34-48 record to show for it, most of the discussion centered on which of the principals will be back for the third consecutive bid to reclaim the heights of 2014-15’s playoff run, starting with the two fielding the questions. “I walk in here every day excited about my job,” Demps said, echoing what he said after last season’s 30-52 campaign when faced with a similar line of questioning. “I don’t ever feel the pressure, or anything like that. “Right now, we’re in evaluation mode. We’re going to sit back and meet with Alvin. We’re going to sit back and go over the whole season. I think we’ve had a lot of challenges this year. But I do like the direction and path that we’re headed [on].”
“It’s not something I spend a lot of time worrying about,” Gentry said about his status. “I’m at the office and I’m working and I’m preparing for the summer and everything else like I would normally do. When the time comes, that decision will be made.”
It is also probable that current head coach Alvin Gentry, who signed a four-year deal in 2015, is let go, as well. Gentry has just one more fully-guaranteed year left on his contract, with the fourth year being at the team’s option.
Justin Verrier: Solomon Hill says he “most definitely” wants the Pelicans coaching staff to return next season.
Alvin Gentry appears to be in a fight to save his job with league sources confirming that he has been told by management that they expect for the team to show signs of progress over the final stretch of the season because the talent issue on the roster has been addressed with the addition of DeMarcus Cousins. According to the Sporting News, no definite decision has made on the future of General Manager Dell Demps either, despite pulling off the blockbuster trade last month to acquire Cousins from the Sacramento Kings.
In the larger sense, though, this might be a crucial week for Gentry’s tenure in New Orleans. A league source told Sporting News that though no definite decision has been made on the future of the tandem of Gentry and general manager Dell Demps with the Pelicans, failure to secure that playoff spot (which has been all but lost) or at least to show “significant progress with this roster as it stands” likely will move the Pelicans to oust Gentry. Demps is more likely to stay, but that’s not a certainty, either.
“There’s some feeling in the front office the record being what it is, the writing is on the wall,” the source said. “Might as well make a change in April and start searching. But is that really fair? Can’t you give Dell an offseason to get some shooters, give Alvin some time to remake the offense? They’ve at least got to give this playoff spot a run and that might buy more time. That’s sort of where it stands.”
One issue in replacing Gentry could be the lack of top candidates on the coaching market now. Gentry has one more year on this contract, worth around $3.3 million, and hasn’t really gotten a chance to coach a full, healthy Pelicans team. If the Pelicans were to make a change, speculation is that the team would prefer to bring in a combination team president/coach. There are few coaches on the market who would warrant a dual job, though.
Shaqtin’ A Fool: A Pelicans fan handcuffed himself to the Smoothie King Center to let it be known he wants Alvin Gentry fired. #Shaqtin ⛓🗝 pic.twitter.com/uEQkPS76lM
“I really don’t give a s— about my job status,” Gentry told reporters. “I’m gonna work hard, and I’m gonna coach until the day they tell me I’m not the coach here anymore. It doesn’t matter. I don’t ever worry about that. That is not anything that I spend five seconds worrying about. My worry is that, ‘How do I get the guys in the locker room to play at the level that I want ’em to?’ That’s where all my effort goes. It doesn’t go anywhere else.”
Scott Kushner: Gentry: I don’t give a shit about my job status.
John Reid: Alvin Gentry said he’s happy working with Dell Demps.
Scott Kushner: Dell Demps: My confidence in Alvin Gentry has not wavered.
Scott Kushner: Dell Demps: I feel like we are tied at the hip and we are in this thing together. #Pelicans
Pelicans GM Dell Demps has expressed reservations on numerous occasions this season about last year’s decision to hire Alvin Gentry as coach, making his doubts known to some of the team’s players and staff, and to opponents as well, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical for a video report. It was Demps who originally chose Gentry for the job, as Wojnarowski casts it, though confusion exists over whether Demps or executive vice president of basketball operations Mickey Loomis is in control of the front office, as Zach Lowe of ESPN.com touched on in a trade deadline report.
The possibility of the Pelicans dumping Gentry exists, though it is slim. He will most likely be back in New Orleans to start next year. But if things don’t turn around then, his teenager will hardly be the only one criticizing him.
September 27, 2021 | 8:29 am EDT Update
After weeks of conversation with James, Davis and then-Lakers forward Jared Dudley, who emerged as a sort of consigliere to the Lakers’ superstars in these meetings, Westbrook believed he was on his way to L.A. For years he had angled to get home, and now everything was lining up for it to finally happen. There was only one problem: The Lakers’ efforts to complete the fairytale had been repeatedly stymied by the Wizards’ refusal to make Westbrook available because, sources said, they still planned on moving forward with the Westbrook-Beal backcourt. Westbrook, for his part, would have played out the remaining two seasons on his deal if a trade hadn’t materialized. “No one thought that Russ would get out,” said one source close to the discussions.
That day, a telltale moment occurred: Westbrook received a tip. Not only could the Lakers not break through with the Wizards, but also they were on the cusp of trading Kyle Kuzma and Montrezl Harrell — players whose salaries would be required to execute a Westbrook trade — to the Kings for Hield. “That set Russ off,” one source said. “All he wanted, by any means, was to be a Laker.”
On Sunday, the Lakers reached agreement on a two-year deal with guard Austin Reaves, converting his two-way contract to a standard NBA deal ahead of training camp. The Lakers will have a team option on the second year of Reaves‘ contract, sources said. Reaves, a 6-foot-5 combo guard, has impressed the Lakers throughout the offseason and had a strong showing at James’ minicamp. James and Westbrook even had the rookie conduct some fun-loving errands throughout the weekend in Vegas.
Sources said Pelinka and his front-office group strongly considered executing a sign-and-trade for the 32-year-old DeRozan, giving up Kuzma and Caldwell-Pope in the process, but couldn’t come to consensus terms with the Spurs in free agency or a suitable contract number for DeRozan. What’s more, sources say the DeRozan option never advanced to the point that it was presented to Buss.
Elsewhere on the roster, former All-Star center Andre Drummond’s midseason arrival not only failed to pay off on the court, but also, according to sources, poisoned the well with Gasol, who had joined the Lakers after being promised the starting job, sources said, only to be replaced by Drummond, who was given the same pledge.
