Let the John Calipari to the NBA rumors begin once again. The Kentucky head coach was previously linked to the Sacramento Kings in the event that George Karl was fired. That now seems unlikely, so of course another rumor is now here.
The Brooklyn Nets could face a giant overhaul within their organization this summer. One rumor had owner Mikhail Prokhorov bringing aboard the president of CSKA Moscow as the replacement to current general manager Billy King. Now, a new rumor has Nets CEO Brett Yomark wanting to do everything imaginable to bring in Calipari as a big part of the team.
The following from Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post:
If Brett Yormark is in charge of decision making, Calipari will undoubtedly be offered everything under the sun to become basketball czar of the Nets. I’ve heard conflicting opinions on whether he’d take it, but that will undoubtedly be the first call if Yormark gets his way.
There are some takeaways from this quote. First, Calipari has been linked to numerous NBA teams over the years and other than one unsuccessful stint with the New Jersey Nets, he has chosen to stay at Kentucky. It’s hard to blame him; he has done quite well at his current job and the NBA game is completely different.
My second takeaway is the use of the term “basketball czar.” This is pure speculation, but it sounds like the Nets want to entice Calipari by giving him control over personnel decisions as well as coaching duties. That is a risky maneuver that has not really worked out for other coaches in the league. Two example, Jason Kidd and Doc Rivers, are seen as de facto general managers as well as coaches and their personnel decisions have not always been great. Allowing a college coach to come in and have total control over all basketball decisions could lead to major problems.
It seems apparent that both King and head coach Lionel Hollins will be gone after this season. The Nets have a long rebuild in front of them and the first step will be choosing the correct general manager and coach to lead that charge.
