NBA Rumors Round-Up: News About Nancy Lieberman, Andre Drummond, And Kobe Bryant, Plus More


Could a woman become a head coach be in the NBA’s near future? That is part of today’s NBA rumors.

According to Ric Buecher of Bleacher Report — in a video report — Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive wants to name assistant coach Nancy Lieberman the team’s interim head coach if George Karl is fired during the season. Buecher added that, in case Karl was given the axe, vice president of basketball operations Vlade Divac would prefer assistant coach Corliss Williamson, associate head coach Chad Iske, assistants Vance Wahlberg, Anthony Carter, or John Welch to take over the team.

Last week, Divac said that the Kings were committed to Karl this season. However, Ranadive is reportedly intent on making a huge offer to lure Kentucky head coach John Calipari back to the NBA this offseason.

Sacramento made Lieberman the second woman ever to become an assistant coach on July 31. Lieberman played professionally in several different leagues, including the WNBA, and was the first woman to coach a men’s team when she led the Texas Legends of the D-League to the playoffs in 2010-11. The Legends, who finished 24-26 under Lieberman, have not made the playoffs since. She also has coached and served as a general manager in the WNBA.

Williamson played 12 seasons in the NBA with eight being with the Kings. The 41-year old served as head coach at Central Arkansas for three seasons (2010-13) where he posted a 26-62 record.

In other NBA news, Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond has been absolutely unbelievable this season. The two-time, 2015-16 Eastern Conference Player of the Week was recently named the top center in the NBA, per Detroit Free Press.

Through 11 games, Drummond is averaging 19.1 points along with 18.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks. He is shooting 53.0 percent from the field on a career-high 15.1 shot attempts and he is attempting a career-high 7.4 free throws. Drummond has posted a double-double in each of the 11 games, which includes three 20-point/20-rebound games.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson played in his 300th consecutive game on Thursday.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told Ben Rohrbach of WEI 93.7 FM that the trade for Rajon Rondo last year didn’t work as planned.

“[Expletive] happens, right? There are a lot of risks I’ve taken that have worked out just fine. They’re not all going to work,”

Rondo averaged 9.3 points, 6.5 assists and 2.9 turnovers in 48 games with the Mavericks last season. The 29-year old point guard has career averages of 10.9 points, 8.4 assists and 2.9 turnovers. He is currently averaging 12.6 points and 10.2 assists along with 7.6 rebounds through 13 games with the Kings this season.

Kobe Bryant seems to be set on retiring after this year if he continues to as poorly as he has,
Frank Isola of the New York Daily News relayed.

Bryant is currently averaging 16.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while shooting only 33.6 percent from the field and 23.3 percent from beyond the arc. He has missed three of the Lakers (2-9) 11 games, including Monday’s 120-101 loss to Phoenix. Bryant (back) is expected to play against Toronto tonight.

Archie Goodwin has seen his role with the Phoenix Suns expand this season.

Anthony Brown was recently sent down to the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the D-League. Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders relayed that Brown is on assignment to work on his own shot off the dribble and to learn to play the guard position.

The Oklahoman reported that Russell Westbrook presented Kevin Durant for Durant’s introduction in the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.

Utah Jazz reserve guard Alec Burks has gotten off to a strong start in his fourth NBA season. Burks is averaging 15.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2 assists in 27.9 minutes of action. He is shooting 43.6 percent from the floor and 48.1 percent from beyond the arc this season. Burks missed 55 games last year due to a shoulder injury.

Jazz coach Quin Snyder told Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune that the key for Burks this year has been that he is playing at a more controlled pace and making better on-court decisions.

“There are a lot of little things, habits that are hard. Literally, which foot do you want forward? … All those things that maybe you don’t see add up,” Snyder said.

Prior to getting hurt last year, Burks averaged 13.7 points while shooting 40.3 percent from the field and 38.2 percent from beyond the arc. He also averaged 4.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists a contest.

Despite previous reports, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweeted that Brooklyn Nets reserve Sergey Karasev doesn’t want to be traded.

Karasev, 22, has played just six total minutes across three games so far this season.

Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose will not play against the Golden State Warriors tonight due to a sprained right ankle, per ESPN.

“Not yet,” Rose told reporters after Friday’s shootaround. “Big game tonight. Of course I would love to play in it, but I got to be smart about what I have going on and deal with the reality.”

Golden State, which rallied from 23 points down against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, looks to improve 14-0 on the season against the Bulls. Stephen Curry, the league’s scoring leader with 34.2 points a game, is averaging 37.0 points over the past five games.

Cleveland Cavaliers announced that center Timothy Mozgov will be out 10-14 days with a right shoulder strain. Mozgov left the Cavs 115-100 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in the second quarter. In the meantime, Mo Williams, who missed Thursday’s game, received additional examination and an MRI on Friday. The examination showed posterior ankle inflammation, along with continued soreness. Williams will miss Saturday’s game against Atlanta and is doubtful for Monday’s game against Orlando.

The Boston Celtics may end with a top-three pick this year as result of their trade with the Brooklyn Nets in 2013. The Celtics dealt Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Jason Terry, and D.J. Whiten in exchange for Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries, Marshon Wallace, Keith Bogans, and their unprotected first-round draft picks in 2014, 2016, and 2018. Boston has the right to swap first-rounders with the Nets in 2017.

[photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images]

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