The Oklahoma City Thunder are preparing an offer for Florida coach Billy Donovan and pushing for him to accept the job as head coach, league sources told Yahoo Sports.Donovan is the only serious candidate in general manager Sam Presti’s search, and the two-time national championship coach is enthusiastic about the possibility of the job – if terms on a deal can be reached, sources told Yahoo Sports.
It could take a contract worth in the $6 million-a-year range to get Donovan, who makes $4 million-plus annually with no state income tax at Florida.
Oklahoma City star Kevin Durant has reached out to at least one former University of Florida player in the NBA to gain insight into Donovan, league sources told Yahoo Sports and has become generally positive about the potential hiring.
Donovan has had an interest in trying to speak to the Thunder’s key players, including Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka, before accepting the job, but it was unclear if that would be facilitated for Donovan, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Presti and Donovan have a relationship that dates back a decade.
Oklahoma City has the potential to be an NBA championship contender next season, but the looming free agency of Durant (2016) and Westbrook (2017) are significant issues facing the franchise.
What does this mean for Kevin Durant?
I think OKC will keep Durant.
I think Westbrook is the guy they will eventually move. If Donovan can get him to play into a team concept, they'd be great. If they can't, can you really win a championship with Westbrook taking 40 shots a night? I love the guy, he's my favorite NBA player to watch... but he needs someone to get through to him.
Ironically, I think Phil Jackson would be an amazing coach for this current OKC team.
donovan is a perfect replacement for them - the guy knows basketball inside and out and fits in with the college-type atmosphere that okc likes to have for that franchise. more importantly, he's an excellent x's and o's coach will give them the best shot to keep westbrook in line.
I am so damn jealous
IMHO he should stay at Florida. I see him being like Pitino and will miss the college game. On the other hand, there are far fewer media and other distractions in Oklahoma than many other NBA cities.
Jealous? We have a young dynamic coach in the making.
Stay at florida? Dude has won 2 chips and might be burnt out from recruiting. Some guys want the challange at the next level AND he can always go back to college and get a top position if he wanted to.
Think if Cal left Kentucky he'd be considered if he wanted? North Carolina when they shed Roy? Its duke and Kentucky getting top 8 players now. Duke just reloaded with another killer class. Coach K out Cal'd Cal.
Nalod wrote:Jealous? We have a young dynamic coach in the making. Stay at florida? Dude has won 2 chips and might be burnt out from recruiting. Some guys want the challange at the next level AND he can always go back to college and get a top position if he wanted to.
Think if Cal left Kentucky he'd be considered if he wanted? North Carolina when they shed Roy? Its duke and Kentucky getting top 8 players now. Duke just reloaded with another killer class. Coach K out Cal'd Cal.
he is definitely young
nooooooooo.
If fish was not here already, most would be clamering for him as the new savior.
yellowboy90 wrote:nooooooooo.
See Yellow now you know how I felt when we let Lin walk and traded Shump. It's a tough pill to swallow man
Weirdly - I think Mike D'Antoni would be an interesting fit in OKC.
What does this mean for enes kanter?
callmened wrote:What does this mean for enes kanter?
It means no matter how many threads that Briggs starts he's still coming here
Nalod wrote:If fish was not here already, most would be clamering for him as the new savior.
like we clamored for Curry and Bargs and Isiah and Larry Brown and Phil?
fishmike wrote:callmened wrote:What does this mean for enes kanter?
It means no matter how many threads that Briggs starts he's still coming here
Lololollololol
mreinman wrote:Nalod wrote:If fish was not here already, most would be clamering for him as the new savior.
like we clamored for Curry and Bargs and Isiah and Larry Brown and Phil?
didnt we? Isiah came with great promise as a good record as a drafter. Curry was one of the most promising bigs in the game (cough Enes Kanter cough cough). Bargs... no. Larry Brown came after one coach after another was a nightmare and most were pretty pumped with that hiring... and Phil. I mean Phil is the only legit shot I see at this man's true dream, which is to have the team build by a basketball guy and not a drunken meglomaniac hobbit of an owner. So far so good. We tanked. We have a top pick. We have cap space. I believe in the coach (for now). The owner publicly used the R word....
