NBA Notes: Bulls, Chris Quinn, Suns, Mark Williams, Knicks

Bulls

The Bulls continue to cast a wide net in their coaching search, and now another longtime respected assistant has entered the picture.

According to the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang, the Heat have granted Chicago permission to interview associate head coach Chris Quinn for the vacancy left by Billy Donovan.

Quinn has quietly become one of the more sought-after assistants in the league over the years. The former NBA guard has been on Erik Spoelstra’s staff since 2014 and earned a promotion to associate head coach before this past season.

Around the NBA, he’s viewed as steady, detail-oriented and highly respected by players.

This also isn’t the first time Quinn has surfaced in a coaching search. He has previously been linked to openings with the Suns, Lakers, Cavaliers, Bucks and others over the past few years.

Chicago’s search has been aggressive since Bryson Graham took over basketball operations. Other names tied to the job include Sean Sweeney, James Borrego, Micah Nori, Wes Unseld Jr., Dave Bliss, Lamar Skeeter, Ryan Schmidt and Jerry Stackhouse.

The Bulls appear determined to look at every possible lane before making a decision.

Suns

The future of Mark Williams in Phoenix remains one of the more interesting under-the-radar storylines entering free agency.

Per Sports360AZ.com, there’s a real chance the Suns could lose Williams if another team comes in aggressively with an offer in the $20-25 million annual range. If that market never fully develops, though, a return to Phoenix on a multiyear deal — or even a one-year qualifying offer — remains possible.

Complicating matters is the presence of rookie center Khaman Maluach, who many around the league already view as the Suns’ long-term answer in the middle.

One league source told Sports360AZ that Maluach could potentially overtake Williams as the starter by the end of next season. If Phoenix shares that belief, it may view Williams more as a short-term bridge than a long-term cornerstone.

Knicks

After a rough finish to Game 1, Josh Hart answered in a big way for the Knicks in Game 2.

Hart struggled Tuesday night, getting benched late as Landry Shamet helped spark New York’s comeback. But Thursday was a different story entirely.

Hart finished with 26 points, seven assists and two steals in the Knicks’ convincing win over Cleveland, knocking down five threes after missing his first three attempts.

“Those first three, they felt good,” Hart said afterward, via the New York Daily News. “I knew I had to just keep shooting.”

Coach Mike Brown never lost confidence.

Brown called Hart a “connector” who impacts winning in all sorts of ways, even when the jumper isn’t falling. And once the shots finally started dropping, Hart became the emotional engine for another Knicks victory.

“He’s a gamer,” Brown said. “When you have guys who are gamers, they do stuff people don’t think they can do.”