Bucks Trade Rumors

"Former Marquette University player Jim Boylan has emerged as the leading candidate to become the lead assistant to new Bucks coach Scott Skiles."

"Two coaches who might be joining his staff are former Indiana University coach Kelvin Sampson and former Bucks player Joe Wolf, who has made a name for himself as coach of two teams in the NBA's Development League."

"Milwaukee has emerged as the most likely landing spot for former Indiana coach Kelvin Sampson. The Milwaukee Bucks, specifically. NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com on Thursday that Sampson and the Bucks are discussing an assistant coach's role at the urging of new Bucks coach Scott Skiles."

"Bogut, through his agent, David Bauman, confirmed that he would be available to play for Australia in the Beijing Olympics this summer. But Bauman also repeated that Bogut would not be available until July 9 at the earliest, the first day the 7-foot center could sign a contract extension under terms of the NBA collective bargaining agreement."

"Continuing to make significant progress in their negotiations, the Milwaukee Bucks might be ready to name Scott Skiles their new coach in the next day or two."

"Scott Skiles verbally has accepted an offer from the Bucks, erasing him as a Knicks coaching candidate, according to a league source. Skiles' imminent hiring strengthens front-runner Mark Jackson's candidacy, which received another boost over the weekend with Jeff Van Gundy's endorsement. "

"Michael Redd: The Bucks have tried for five years to win with Redd as their best player and it hasn't worked. He would be great in a supporting role for a superstar -- are you listening, Cleveland? -- but this season proved that Redd will never accept that role with the Bucks. He's a liability on defense and a stop sign on offense, so he needs to be replaced."

"As stated from the giddy-app, Billy King and Mark Jackson are the common sense choices to become GM and coach... Sources say Scott Skiles is being romanced by the Bucks and Grizzlies. . . . Rick Carlisle appears to have a clear path to the Bulls. . . . P.J. Carlesimo's future with the Sonics is real shaky; too many players aren't fond of him and none are named Latrell Sprewell. . . . Should the Raptors, losers in 13 of last 20, get bounced in the opening round, Sam Mitchell, word has it, could be in jeopardy with two years left on his deal."

"Among the top candidates in Chicago is former Detroit and Indiana coach Rick Carlisle, who also has ties to Hammond. Former Bulls coach Scott Skiles is a strong candidate for the Bucks job, but the Knicks also reportedly have interest in the 44-year-old Indiana native."

"A team source said the Bucks were pursuing former Bulls coach Scott Skiles, who also might be a strong candidate for the Knicks' anticipated opening. Skiles, a close friend of Krystkowiak's, advised him when the Bucks promoted Krystkowiak to the head coaching job in March of last year."

"The Bucks will immediately begin their search for a head coach. Former Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle and former Chicago Bulls coach Scott Skiles are expected to be considered, and it’s possible veteran Larry Brown could be in the mix. Brown, who coached the Pistons to the 2004 NBA championship, has said he wants to return to coaching."

"Scott Skiles may not be unemployed long enough to become a candidate to replace Isiah Thomas. According to a source close to the former Chicago Bulls head coach, Skiles is already in talks with another team - believed to be the Milwaukee Bucks - and could have a deal in place by next week. "

"Boylan, who assisted Skiles both with the Bulls and Phoenix, could land a job on Skiles' next staff. The former Bulls coach is weighing at least two coaching opportunities and could be employed by this weekend, perhaps in Milwaukee. General manager John Paxson immediately will conduct a search that will include former coaches like Rick Carlisle and hot assistants like Tom Thibodeau."

"Should be traded: Mo Williams or Michael Redd. The Bucks can't go on with this backcourt. Too much money and too little payoff for a team that must change its perimeter-based character."

"At some point following Wednesday night's season finale at Minnesota, Krystkowiak is going to meet with the Bucks' new general manager, John Hammond. The forecast is the two will meet Thursday or Friday, and shortly after the team will announce it is in the market for a new coach."

" Barring divine intervention, Larry Krystkowiak, Marc Iavaroni and Jim Boylan are days away from dismissal by the Bucks, Grizzlies and Bulls, respectively. Two others on Uneasy Street, Lawrence Frank and Sam Vincent, recently received votes of confidence - from Nets president Rod Thorn and Bobcats owner Bob Johnson, respectively. "

"Larry Krystkowiak apparently will know sooner rather than later whether he will continue coaching the Milwaukee Bucks. Krystkowiak says he would encourage new general manager John Hammond to quickly announce a decision on the future of the coaching staff."

"The Bucks must support Hammond with the best possible coach to continue the reshaping of the organization's provincial culture, money no object. You say the Bucks cannot afford Rick Carlisle or Larry Brown. You forget that Kohl once paid Karl $7 million a season."

"It is expected that Hammond will hire a veteran coach to direct the Bucks, and he has worked closely during his career with both Larry Brown and Rick Carlisle."

"The Philadelphia Daily News reported Friday that one Eastern Conference team already has requested permission to talk with Larry Brown, a Sixers executive vice president. Brown is expected to be on the Bulls' list of coaching candidates. John Hammond, who left the Detroit Pistons' front office Friday to become the Milwaukee Bucks new general manager, is expected to make a strong push to hire former Pistons coach Rick Carlisle, currently an ESPN analyst."

"Various teams have tried in recent years, but it's the Milwaukee Bucks who have managed to lure John Hammond away from the Detroit Pistons to be their new general manager, according to NBA front-office sources. Sources told ESPN.com on Friday that Hammond, pursued in recent years by Portland, Toronto and others after a long and successful run as Joe Dumars' top aide in Detroit, has accepted the Bucks' offer and will be officially introduced as Larry Harris' replacement as early as Monday."

"The Knicks, Milwaukee, Charlotte and perhaps Atlanta could be in the market for a new coach. According to a source, Skiles is reluctant to negotiate with any club that still has a coach in place. His adviser, Keith Glass, declined to comment but said that Skiles was adamant about not campaigning for a job through the media. "

"Suns Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin went to Milwaukee on Monday to talk to Bucks officials about their vacant general manager job but has let Milwaukee know that he is leaning toward remaining with the Suns. Griffin was a candidate for the Memphis GM job last year but pulled his name out."

"Pistons vice president of basketball John Hammond is no longer a candidate for the general manager job in Milwaukee. Reports out of Milwaukee that the Pistons would not allow the Bucks to interview Hammond were inaccurate. It was partly Hammond's decision to decline a formal interview. "

"A source familiar with the talks believes that if Walsh signs a deal with the Knicks, it will happen this week. From all indications, Walsh will join the Knicks, but in the unlikely event that he passes on the job, Walsh has two other plausible options: sitting out one season or running the Milwaukee Bucks."

"The Racine (Wis.) Journal Times mentions Pistons vice president John Hammond (a.k.a. Joe Dumars' right-hand man) as a candidate for the Bucks' vacancy at general manager. A portion of the article:"

"Bogut has made steady progress in his third pro season and will have an option to sign a multiyear deal this summer with the Bucks. And preliminary indications are that the Bucks intend to make a strong push to get Bogut signed to a long-term contract."

"The former general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers and former president / general manager of Memphis Grizzlies, Jerry West, is going to turn 70 on May 28... Donnie Walsh, the CEO and president of the Indiana Pacers, turned 67 on March 1."

"Larry Krystkowiak vowed Friday to use only the players who will finish the season with pride and dedication... The 43-year-old Krystkowiak has one year remaining on his contract. His position appears tenuous with the departure of Harris, who appointed the former University of Montana coach as the Bucks head coach on March 14, 2007."

"Who would be more inclined to bend the truth, a politician or Isiah Thomas? Thomas denied Friday that he was involved in trade talks last month that would have sent Zach Randolph to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for three players. And Bucks owner Sen. Herb Kohl on Wednesday confirmed a report that said he squashed the deal."

"If James Dolan is serious about hiring Donnie Walsh, he may have to get a deal done quickly. Walsh, the Indiana Pacers CEO, has already had talks with the Milwaukee Bucks about replacing general manager Larry Harris, the Daily News has learned. A Knicks official revealed Tuesday that the team is well aware that Milwaukee and at least one other club - possibly Atlanta - have reached out to Walsh. "

"Despite their respective faults, Curry and Randolph have trade value, according to rival executives. Milwaukee and Denver pursued Randolph before the deadline; Miami had interest in Curry. It is likely that one of them will be dealt this off-season, possibly before the June draft."

"It has been apparent for some time now that Larry Harris isn't coming back. The Milwaukee Bucks' general manager has made mistakes and, bottom line, the team hasn't had a winning record and is a ghastly 64 games below .500 during his four-plus seasons. He had his shot."

"Isiah Thomas is committed to exiling Zach Randolph and is in serious trade negotiations with the Denver Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks, the Daily News has learned... Also, a league source told The News that the Bucks' owner, Milwaukee Sen.Herb Kohl, yesterday rejected a trade that would have sent Randolph and either Fred Jones or Jared Jeffries to Milwaukee for a package including Bobby Simmons, Charlie Bell and Dan Gadzuric, who all have long-term contracts."

"A contender might be interested in Redd as a complementary piece, yet probably not at the roster cost to make the salaries match. Redd is owed almost $33 million for the next two years and owns his option for $18.3 million for 2010-'11."

"With the NBA trade deadline approaching on Wednesday, it would be nice to think that Harris could do something to shake up the staleness that permeates the Bucks, if not for this season then for the future. But the team's contractual situations make that a virtual impossibility in a league where trades are made on a financial basis, not just talent."

"Bucks owner Herb Kohl long has been a Doug Collins fan and has been considering the TNT analyst for the job of team president, if he decides to replace GM Larry Harris, as is expected. We're hearing Collins isn't very interested. ... Larry Brown's name has been linked to the Bulls' coaching position, but owner Jerry Reinsdorf would practically have to sell the team for that to happen. Perhaps Brown will end up in Charlotte, where Michael Jordan continues to stay out of circulation so he doesn't have to answer any questions about Vincent's job performance."

"The Bucks have proven that they lack the proper chemistry to win consistently. Indeed, the only way to fix this team is to dismantle it. Except for young big men Andrew Bogut and Yi Jianlian, everyone is expendable."

"A Zach Randolph-for-Charlie Villanueva deal reportedly was on the table a few weeks ago. Judging by last night, Thomas might want to think about making the trade."

"Villanueva's frustration has grown in recent weeks, and he felt compelled to address trade rumors on the blog he writes for NBA.com, with the league trade deadline approaching Feb. 21."

"Thomas has a history of ruling out potential trades only to make a move before the deadline. Two weeks ago, Thomas did try to orchestrate a deal with Milwaukee that would have sent Zach Randolph to the Bucks in exchange for several players, including Charlie Villanueva. The Knicks also have been looking to trade Jared Jeffries. There is a belief that Thomas remains interested in Sacramento's Ron Artest, although any deal for Artest would likely have to include David Lee."

"IT'S THAT TIME of year again, when rumors and speculation dominate the NBA headlines. The trade deadline is less than a month away, so -- as always -- there is talk about who could be dealt and where they could be going. To be sure, no one knows. Not even the general managers who are trying to rob each other blind. Nonetheless, here's a look at who could be on the move by Feb. 21."

"There has been plenty of recent speculation about Harris' job security, with the playoff-starved Bucks sitting 10 games below .500 and the general manager working on the final year of his contract. TNT analyst Doug Collins, whom the Bucks pursued for a front-office and coaching position in 2005, is the main name being circulated as a replacement for Harris."

" The truth is, contrary to Thomas' denial when word got out, GM Glen Grunwald initiated a trade call last week to Bucks GM Larry Harris in an effort to trade Zach Randolph Zach Randolph . No hedging, no fudging, no qualifying, no lie. "

"There was, for example, no reason for Kohl to bring back general manager Larry Harris for a lame-duck season. Maybe the senator did it because it was the expedient thing to do, but it has come back to put the team in another untenable position."

"It has been almost a month now, and Bell still can't seem to let go of the fact that the Bucks matched Miami's offer sheet of $18 million for five years to retain his services as a backup guard. And that's too bad."

"But three newcomers who have a chance to stick - guards Royal Ivey ($770,000) and Ramon Sessions ($450,000) and forward Michael Ruffin ($770,00) - come rather cheaply by NBA standards, so if they prove during the exhibition season that they can help the team, they might be retained as well."

"Former Temple and Engineering and Science point guard Lynn Greer is trading one guaranteed year in the NBA for two more lucrative ones in the Euroleague. Greer, who had one guaranteed season left with the Milwaukee Bucks, has opted to sign a two-year guaranteed deal with Greece's Olympiacos."

" Reader Clint Biesinger submitted a proposed Utah-Milwaukee trade in which the Jazz would send Andrei Kirilenko and Ronnie Brewer to the Bucks for Charlie Villanueva, Bobby Simmons and Damir Markota. "