Thunder GM Calls Phil Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy Rumors ‘Rubbish’

OKC Thunder GM Sam Presti shot down rumors that the team may target Phil Jackson or Jeff Van Gundy should they fail to reach an agreement with head coach Scott Brooks. Per the Oklahoman: “To me, it’s rubbish,’ said Presti, the Thunder’s general manager, when asked about recent reports listing the two former coaches as possibilities. Brooks’ contract expires Saturday. But the two sides postponed negotiations while the team was competing in the NBA Finals. Now that the season has concluded, Presti called Brooks’ contract the organization’s top priority. And, again, Presti stressed during his season-ending news conference with reporters how valuable he believes Brooks has been in helping to build the Thunder. ‘As we’ve said before, Scotty is an integral part of our organization and critical to our success,’ Presti said. ‘And we value him greatly. We’re looking forward to having those conversations, as he said, in the coming days. But he’s been integral to our success. We wouldn’t be in the situation that we’re in without him and his commitment to the organization and to our players.'”