NBA rumors

The Chicago Bulls have hired Billy Donovan as the team’s head coach. In accordance with team policy, terms of the contract were not announced.

Donovan, 55, comes to the Bulls having spent the last five seasons manning the sidelines for the Oklahoma City Thunder. While in OKC, his teams amassed a record of 243-157 (.608) and made five consecutive trips to the playoffs. His winning percentage ranks 16th (min. 100 games) in NBA history, and trails only Nick Nurse (.721), Steve Kerr (.709) and Gregg Popovich (.675) among active coaches. He is also one of only four active first-time head coaches in the league (along with Rick Carlisle, Kerr and Erik Spoelstra) to lead their teams to the playoffs in each of their first five seasons as a head coach.

“We are very pleased to welcome Billy and his family to the Chicago Bulls. The success that he has sustained over the course of his coaching career puts him on a different level,” said Chicago Bulls Executive Vice President – Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas. “We feel his ability to help his players reach their potential, both individually and collectively, will mesh well with our roster. Whether as a player or as a coach, he has won everywhere his career has taken him, and we hope that will continue here in Chicago.”

In 2015-16, his first season with the Thunder, he guided the team to a record of 55-27 (.671), as it claimed the Northwest Division title and advanced to the Western Conference Finals. Donovan’s 55 wins put him in select company, as he became just the third first-year head coach over the previous 15 seasons to win 55 or more games in his first season. On April 5, 2017 at Memphis, the Thunder defeated the Grizzlies 103-100 for Donovan’s 100th career victory in the NBA. With the win, he became the first NBA head coach to win 100 or more games in his first two seasons after coming straight from the collegiate level. He claimed his 200th career coaching win on Oct. 27, 2019 versus Golden State.

“I want to thank Jerry, Michael, Arturas and Marc for the opportunity to coach the Chicago Bulls. I also want to thank them for the time and effort they put into this hiring process. I’m excited to partner with Arturas as we work together on behalf of this historic franchise,” said Billy Donovan.

Prior to his arrival in Oklahoma City, Donovan enjoyed a storied 19-year stint as the head coach at the University of Florida. While in Gainesville, he coached his teams to an overall record of 467-186 (.715). His term with the Gators was highlighted by back-to-back National Championships in 2006, and again in 2007. The consecutive titles marked the first time a men’s program won two straight basketball championships since Duke in 1991 and 1992. He also led the Gators to the Final Four in 2000 (losing in the NCAA Championship Game) and 2014, while making 14 trips to the NCAA Tournament, and two appearances in the NIT.

The Gators enjoyed sustained success under Donovan, as his teams posted 16 straight seasons with 20 or more wins, three campaigns with 30 or more wins, 17 consecutive trips to the postseason and six SEC Championships. In 2014-15, at the age of 49 years old, he became the second-youngest coach in NCAA history (Bobby Knight, 48-years old) to post 500 wins. Before arriving in Gainesville, Donovan’s first experience as a head coach came in 1994 at Marshall University. In two seasons with the Thundering Herd, he posted a record of 35-20 (.636).

Donovan has also enjoyed success with USA Basketball. From 2012-14, he served as the head coach of USAB’s U18 and U19 National Teams. Over that time, his squads compiled a record of 19-0 and claimed three gold medals during national team competition.

A native of Rockville Centre, New York, Donovan played four seasons at Providence (1983-87). His senior season, he averaged 20.6 ppg and helped lead the Friars to the 1987 Final Four. For his efforts, he earned Southeast Regional Most Outstanding Player honors, and also was named to the 1987 All-Big East first team, the 1987 Big East All-Tournament team and was an honorable mention All-American. He was drafted by the Utah Jazz in the third round (68th overall) of the 1987 NBA Draft and played a total of 44 games with the New York Knicks in 1987-88. In 1999, he was inducted into the Providence College Hall of Fame.

Donovan and his wife, Christine, have four children: Billy, Hasbrouck, Bryan and Connor.

The Sacramento Kings announced today that the team has hired Monte McNair as General Manager. In this role, McNair will be responsible for all decisions made in the Kings basketball operations department and serve as the team’s top basketball executive reporting to the owner and chairman. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“Monte is one of the NBA’s top basketball minds who has played an instrumental role in building several winning teams in Houston,” said Kings Owner and Chairman Vivek Ranadivé. “I am excited to bring his extensive experience and vision onboard to lead our basketball operations department, and it is my pleasure to welcome Monte and his family to Sacramento.”

“I am thrilled to join the Kings organization and honored to shape the franchise’s bright future for the team’s loyal fans,” said McNair. “I would like to thank Vivek for this opportunity and look forward to becoming a part of the Sacramento community.”

A native of Oak Park, California, McNair returns to his home state from the Houston Rockets, where he has held the title of Assistant General Manager since 2018. Prior to that, McNair led the analytic efforts of the Rockets basketball operations department where he worked closely with Houston’s coaching staff to provide on-court strategy and analysis along with opponent preparation.

During his time in Houston, the organization reached the NBA Playoffs over the course of eight consecutive seasons, including two trips to the Western Conference Finals, while amassing seven seasons with 50+ wins.

Over his 13 years with the Rockets, McNair was involved with all aspects of player evaluation, including trade, free agency and the Draft. He began his career in Houston as a Basketball Operations Senior Analyst in 2007, was promoted to Director of Basketball Operations in 2013 and became Vice President of Basketball Operations in 2016.

Before joining the Rockets, McNair worked as a sports programmer and researcher at STATS LLC. McNair played football at Princeton University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science.

A virtual introductory press conference will be held at a later date.

Kings Name Monte McNair General Manager » https://t.co/PS2dSegp6H pic.twitter.com/imD6IJqyVC

— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) September 17, 2020

The Toronto Raptors announced Tuesday they have signed head coach Nick Nurse to a multi-year contract extension. Per team policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. This past season, Nurse guided the Raptors to a 53-19 record during the regular season (second best in the NBA) and set a franchise-record with a .736 winning percentage. Toronto also reached the Eastern Conference Semifinals for the fifth straight year.

“Our confidence in Nick just continues to grow, and part of that comes from what we’ve experienced together. The past two seasons have been unlike any other in our team’s history – first, winning our championship, and then navigating a global pandemic and committing long-term to the fight against racism and for social justice,” Raptors president Masai Ujiri said. “Nick has proved that he can coach on the court and lead in life, and we’re looking forward to accomplishing great things in the future.”

In his two seasons at the helm of the Raptors, Nurse has posted a 111-43 record (.721) during the regular season. In the playoffs, he has compiled a 23-12 mark (.657), while leading Toronto to its first NBA Championship in 2019. Nurse has earned Eastern Conference Coach of the Month honours three times (Jan. 2020, Oct./Nov. 2019, Nov. 2018) and coached Team Giannis at the 2020 NBA All-Star Game in Chicago.

“My family and I will always be appreciative of Larry Tanenbaum and MLSE ownership for this opportunity. I’m grateful to Masai, Bobby, and the players for their trust and their hard work,” Nurse said. “Toronto has been my home for the past seven years, and I look forward to it being home for many more. I’ve watched this franchise grow and reach the pinnacle, and I look forward to the challenge of helping us win another championship.”

Nurse was named the 2019-20 NBA Coach of the Year, becoming the first coach to be selected as Coach of the Year in both the NBA and the NBA G League. Highlighting Toronto’s season last year was a franchise-record 15 straight victories (Jan. 15 – Feb. 10). The winning streak was the longest in Canadian sports history (NBA, NHL, MLB, MLS and CFL).

In 2018-19, the Raptors won 58 regular season games and set franchise records for points per game (114.4), assists per game (25.4), rebounds per game (45.2), and three-point field goals made (1,105). The team went 16-8 in the postseason, defeating Orlando, Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Golden State en route to the Raptors’ first NBA title.

A graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, Nurse was named the ninth head coach in Raptors history on June 14, 2018, taking the job after five years as an assistant coach with the team.

Nurse came to the NBA after several successful years in the NBA G League – where he was the only coach to lead two different teams to the league championship – Rio Grande Valley in 2013 and Iowa in 2011. For his accomplishments with the Energy, Nurse was named the 2010-11 recipient of the Dennis Johnson Coach of the Year award.