John Calipari has basically accomplished everything a coach can do in college basketball. He’s positively transformed all three programs he’s been involved with and was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He also finally won that elusive NCAA Title back in 2012.
But Calipari’s run in the NBA was not quite as successful. He left UMass for the New Jersey Nets in 1996, and coached the team for two full seasons before being fired after a 3-17 start to the 1998-99 campaign.
Even though Cal’s original run with the Nets was a failure, it’s been rumored that the team wants to bring the current Kentucky coach back on board to replace the recently fired Lionel Hollins; they also appear to be willing to make him team president.
However, if the Nets are going to lure Calipari away from Big Blue Nation, they are going to have to pay up, as his asking price is an insane 10 years, $120 million, according to Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Calipari’s desire to get back in the NBA has been well documented for some time now, and he’s been linked to the Kings, as well as the Pelicans and Cavaliers openings in recent years. But, as Wojnarowski notes, he turned down an $80 million deal from Cleveland, and he told Sacramento that he wouldn’t listen for less than $11 million per year. Coach Cal is comfortable staying at Kentucky until a team is willing to give him a significant pay raise.
That team may very well be Brooklyn, who desperately needs a fresh start after their failed attempt at orchestrating a roster capable of a deep playoff has cost them most of their draft picks in upcoming years. To make matters worse, the team lacks any significant building blocks for the future outside of Brook Lopez and perhaps rookie Rondae Hollis-Jefferson — if he is able to develop.
Having streamlined a coterie of talented players to the NBA, Calipari obviously has connections to many potential NBA free agents and, according to Wojnarowski, that will be his main selling point to the Nets (or Kings, as they also appear to still be in play). However, there are significant questions about if those high-profile players would want to play for their former coach at the NBA level.
Calipari’s sell will be this: As his old Kentucky stars – DeMarcus Cousins (2018), John Wall (2019) – become free agents, he’ll have the Nets positioned to sign them. His former players have largely kept excellent relationships with him, but there are those close to them who say that most of his ex-stars remain reluctant to committing to 82 games a year of Cal’s abrasive style.
There’s no doubt that the Nets need something to re-energize the fan base after their failed attempt at contending for a title following their move from Jersey, but it’s questionable — to say the least — that overpaying for Calipari is the right move. Plus, does Cal even want to move?
I am not negotiating with ANYBODY. My total focus is on this team and winning the next game.
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) January 11, 2016
Still, it appears more and more likely that Coach Cal’s days at Kentucky are winding down and he will be in the NBA once again sooner rather than later.
(Via Yahoo)
