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January 11, 2016In June 2014, between the firing of Mike Brown and the return of LeBron James, the Cleveland Cavaliers made an offer to University of Kentucky head coach John Calipari. A big offer. The team was reportedly willing to give Coach Cal some $80 million over 10 years and the dual titles of head coach and team president.
Calipari declined, instead signing a seven-year, $50-plus million deal to stay in Lexington. The Cavs signed David Blatt to be head coach later that June, LeBron James announced his return to Cleveland in July, and the team traded for Kevin Love in August. Not a bad summer for any of the parties involved.
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Over 18 months later, the Cavs’ offer to Calipari still carries weight. The Brooklyn Nets, who fired head coach Lionel Hollins Sunday, are reportedly interested in bringing Calipari back. (Calipari coached the then-New Jersey Nets from 1996 to 1999.) The Sacramento Kings, featuring former Calipari charge DeMarcus Cousins, could be in the market for the UK coach as well. According to Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski, any team hoping to win Calipari’s services will have to beat the Cavs’ 2014 offer — and then some.
For Calipari to consider the Nets – and, yes, the Sacramento Kings, too – league sources tell Yahoo Sports that the teams have been informed of his asking price: 10 years, $120 million.
When Calipari spoke with minority ownership in Sacramento last spring, he told them that it would take an offer of $11 million-plus a year to get his attention, league sources said. Calipari turned down a 10-year, $80 million-plus offer with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014, because he wouldn’t leave Kentucky with only an incremental raise on what is now an $8 million to $9 million annual package on campus.
Cleveland’s offer has become a baseline for Calipari’s contractual demands: He wants the 10 years and now the $12 million a year that Phil Jackson makes to run the Knicks.
For what it’s worth, Calipari tweeted Monday morning that he wasn’t negotiating with anyone.
I am not negotiating with ANYBODY. My total focus is on this team and winning the next game.
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) January 11, 2016
Calipari has said on multiple occasions that he does not regret turning down the Cavs job. Perhaps he recognized right away that, if you’re looking to drive up your asking price, there are worse people to bring into the conversation than Dan Gilbert. If Coach Cal does wind up getting $100-plus to return to the NBA, credit Gilbert with an assist.
1 Comment
Yikes, that worked out just fine for the Cavs.