Dave Joerger may have lost one head coaching gig, but it looks like he's in line for another.
The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Joerger is at the top of the Sacramento Kings‘ wish list after being fired by the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday morning. Part of the reason Joerger was fired by the Grizzlies was because he wanted permission to talk to the Kings while still head coach of Memphis.
Wojnarowski also states that Sacramento will look to strike a deal with Joerger very quickly:
“It is unlikely that Joerger, 42, will be out of work for long. The Sacramento Kings have made him their No. 1 candidate and are planning to move quickly to secure a deal with him, league sources said. The Grizzlies sidestepped what could've been a lengthy negotiation with Sacramento about what would've turned out to be a conditional second-round pick as compensation for hiring Joerger, league sources said.”
Perhaps the most telltale sign is the fact that the Kings are wiling to offer Joerger a deal in the $4 million a year range—he was making just $2 million annually with the Grizzlies.
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It's worth noting that the Houston Rockets and Indiana Pacers are also interested in Joerger's coaching services.
The Kings are looking to bring stability to a franchise that hasn't had any since firing head coach Rick Adelman following the 2005-06 campaign. Coincidentally, they haven't made the playoffs since that year.
While Joerger is not a strong offensive-minded coach, he specializes in defensive strategy. He led the 2015-16 Grizzlies to the playoffs despite using an NBA-record 28 players during the season.
There is “significant momentum” in the Kings getting a deal done with Joerger, so it wouldn't come as a shock if an announcement were to occur over the next 24 hours.
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