Another report talks “dormant” between Hollins, Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies had players in for draft workouts on Wednesday and Lionel Hollins was there, part of the evaluation team. He’s also said on multiple occasions he wants to work things out so he can return to coach the Grizzlies next season.

But right now those talks appear stalled. At best.

Here is another report, this one from Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, that the talks between Hollins and the Grizzlies are going nowhere.

But negotiations between the Grizzlies and Hollins’ representatives have gone dormant since the team granted him permission Sunday to speak to other teams, a source with knowledge of the situation told ESPN on Wednesday night, and the longer the situation goes unresolved, the less likely it is the sides will be able to work through the “philosophical differences” that initially caused talks to break down.

The Grizzlies granted permission for Hollins to talk to both the Clippers and Nets (the Nets thing was stalled but is now in place if they ask to speak to him again). In both cases it appears those teams have Brian Shaw in the mix (if not as the outright frontrunner) as well.

Hollins is an old-school coach and the new owner and front office in Memphis are younger and more into new school analytics. That difference was highlighted when the management traded Rudy Gay and sold that as a step forward for the franchise — and it was, they won games at a higher percentage and went farther in the playoffs than they ever have before and would have with him — and Hollins ripped the trade. If you publicly rip what your boss has done, whether you like it or not, you have to know that doesn’t help you get your next contract.

If Hollins is out, look for his assistant Dave Joerger to get the head coaching job.

Hollins will land on his feet. The question is more and more becoming where.