Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski weighs in the firing of Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl.
Team president Josh Kroenke informed Karl on Thursday morning that he would not bring him back. He said the combination of Karl pushing for a contract extension, and the uncertainty surrounding Karl's possible interest in the Los Angeles Clippers job this week, led him to believe it was best to go in another direction and bring in a new coach.
Karl had one year left on his contract. Karl refused comment to the media on his job status during pre-draft workouts this week at Pepsi Center.
The Nuggets are expected to target two primary candidates to replace Karl: Indiana Pacers assistant Brian Shaw and Memphis Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins, according to a league source. Hollins has been given permission by Memphis to look at jobs around the league, although his preference is to return.
Both the Clippers and the Brooklyn Nets are looking for a coach, too, and Shaw is considered a top candidate for those jobs.
The Nuggets won 57 games this past season, an NBA franchise record, after which Karl was named coach of the year. Only one of Karl's teams advanced past the first round of the playoffs, however. The 2009 Nuggets made it to the Western Conference finals.
Karl's ouster comes on the heels of general manager Masai Ujiri leaving last week to take a similar job in Toronto.
"So, we lost a GM now and a coach, what's next?" tweeted Nuggets big man Kenneth Faried.
Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson was stunned.
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1 comment:
I think the Nuggets are still a team in formation, have made a good fight this season.
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