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George Karl out as Nuggets coach
NBA Coach of the Year George Karl won't return to the Denver Nuggets next season, team president Josh Kroenke confirmed in an email to The Associated Press.
Karl, who is in the final year of his contract, wanted to extend his deal but the Nuggets balked at the request, Yahoo! Sports reported, citing a league source.
NBA coaching sources told ESPN.com that the Memphis Grizzlies -- who are still deciding whether or not to bring back Lionel Hollins -- will definitely discuss their job with Karl now that he's available.
One of the newest members of the Grizzlies' front office -- Stu Lash -- worked with Karl in Denver.
Sources said that the Nuggets, furthermore, have interest in pursuing Hollins, who just led the Grizzlies to 56 wins and the first conference finals berth in franchise history.
The Grizzlies, sources say, have current Memphis assistant coach Dave Jorger and Karl at the top of their list should they part ways with Hollins.
The Los Angeles Clippers had engaged in initial conversations with the Nuggets about Karl, league sources told ESPNLosAngeles.com's Ramona Shelburne earlier this week, but had yet to officially request permission to speak with him.
Karl's reported ouster follows the exit of general manager Masai Ujiri, the NBA's Executive of the Year, who left the Nuggets to become the Toronto Raptors' executive vice president of basketball operations.
Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried reacted with shock on Twitter to the news.
He tweeted: "So we lost a GM now a coach what's next!?"
Karl was named the NBA's top coach after leading the Nuggets, who had the third-youngest roster in the NBA, to a 57-win season. The Nuggets were the third seed in the Western Conference but were ousted in the first round by the Golden State Warriors.
It was the eighth time in Karl's nine playoff appearances with Denver that the Nuggets had been ousted in the first round.
Karl worked wonders this season with a lineup that lacked an All-Star, was beset by injuries to several starters and twisted its way through a brutal early-season schedule in which 22 of the team's first 32 games were on the road.
Relying on an old-school, up-tempo offense and a deep bench that wore out opponents, especially at altitude, the Nuggets led the league in scoring, fast-break production and points in the paint with nary a dominant scorer -- Ty Lawson led Denver with 16.7 points a game, which ranked 31st in the league.
They went an NBA-best 38-3 at home, winning their last 23 games at the Pepsi Center in the regular season and going 24-4 overall after the All-Star break.
Karl is 1,131-756 in his 25 seasons as head coach and 80-105 in the playoffs. In his time in Denver, Karl is 423-257 in the regular season with three division titles and 21-39 in the playoffs. Karl's 21 straight non-losing seasons tie Phil Jackson for the longest streak in league history.
NBA Coach of the Year George Karl won't return to the Denver Nuggets next season, team president Josh Kroenke confirmed in an email to The Associated Press.
Karl, who is in the final year of his contract, wanted to extend his deal but the Nuggets balked at the request, Yahoo! Sports reported, citing a league source.
NBA coaching sources told ESPN.com that the Memphis Grizzlies -- who are still deciding whether or not to bring back Lionel Hollins -- will definitely discuss their job with Karl now that he's available.
One of the newest members of the Grizzlies' front office -- Stu Lash -- worked with Karl in Denver.
Sources said that the Nuggets, furthermore, have interest in pursuing Hollins, who just led the Grizzlies to 56 wins and the first conference finals berth in franchise history.
The Grizzlies, sources say, have current Memphis assistant coach Dave Jorger and Karl at the top of their list should they part ways with Hollins.
The Los Angeles Clippers had engaged in initial conversations with the Nuggets about Karl, league sources told ESPNLosAngeles.com's Ramona Shelburne earlier this week, but had yet to officially request permission to speak with him.
Karl's reported ouster follows the exit of general manager Masai Ujiri, the NBA's Executive of the Year, who left the Nuggets to become the Toronto Raptors' executive vice president of basketball operations.
Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried reacted with shock on Twitter to the news.
He tweeted: "So we lost a GM now a coach what's next!?"
Karl was named the NBA's top coach after leading the Nuggets, who had the third-youngest roster in the NBA, to a 57-win season. The Nuggets were the third seed in the Western Conference but were ousted in the first round by the Golden State Warriors.
It was the eighth time in Karl's nine playoff appearances with Denver that the Nuggets had been ousted in the first round.
Karl worked wonders this season with a lineup that lacked an All-Star, was beset by injuries to several starters and twisted its way through a brutal early-season schedule in which 22 of the team's first 32 games were on the road.
Relying on an old-school, up-tempo offense and a deep bench that wore out opponents, especially at altitude, the Nuggets led the league in scoring, fast-break production and points in the paint with nary a dominant scorer -- Ty Lawson led Denver with 16.7 points a game, which ranked 31st in the league.
They went an NBA-best 38-3 at home, winning their last 23 games at the Pepsi Center in the regular season and going 24-4 overall after the All-Star break.
Karl is 1,131-756 in his 25 seasons as head coach and 80-105 in the playoffs. In his time in Denver, Karl is 423-257 in the regular season with three division titles and 21-39 in the playoffs. Karl's 21 straight non-losing seasons tie Phil Jackson for the longest streak in league history.
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