CHICAGO — Vinny Del Negro has been offered the Bulls head coaching job, according to a person within the league who is familiar with the situation.
The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because an announcement had not been made Monday.
An official announcement, which could come this week, would end a nearly two- month search that included courtships of Mike D’Antoni and Doug Collins.
Del Negro, the assistant general manager of the Suns who has never been a head coach, would take over a team that went from 49 wins to 49 losses this past season and missed the playoffs after making the second round in 2007.
A sluggish start cost coach Scott Skiles his job in December, and interim coach Jim Boylan was fired April 17. Former Minnesota coach Dwane Casey and Sacramento assistant Chuck Person also recently interviewed.
Curry named Pistons coach
DETROIT — Michael Curry will be the Pistons’ head coach next season after only one year as an assistant.
He is set be introduced as Detroit’s new coach at a news conference Monday, Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars said.
Curry was an assistant last season in Detroit under Flip Saunders, who was fired last week.
The Pistons and Curry, 39, agreed on a three-year deal worth $2.5 million a season. The team holds an option for a fourth season.
“I think he has a lot of good qualifications,” Suns coach Terry Porter, who was a Pistons assistant with Curry last season, said. “It’s a pretty good jump going from assistant to head coach.”
Arenas opts out of final year
WASHINGTON — Guard Gilbert Arenas opted out of the final year of his six-year, $65 million contract with the Wizards and can begin negotiating with any team July 1.
Finals ratings up.
Television ratings for the NBA Finals are up big from last season.
Game 2 on Sunday drew an 8.5 fast national rating on ABC, the network said. That’s an increase of 52 percent from the 5.6 last year for the Spurs-Cavaliers series.
The Associated Press
