West Notes: Spurs, Gregg Popovich, Jazz, Rockets, Coaching Rumors

Spurs

Gregg Popovich seems likely to return as coach of the Spurs for another season, wrote Marc Stein of The Stein Line.

“I expect Popovich to be back on the Spurs’ bench next season and believe even more strongly that he won’t make any firm decisions about his future until after the draft lottery in mid-May,” Stein wrote.

Popovich, 74, began his NBA coaching career as an assistant with the Spurs in 1988. He then was an assistant with the Warriors from 1992-96, before becoming coach of the Spurs. He is now one of the longest-tenured coaches with the same team in pro sports history.

• San Antonio’s younger players made the most of their auditions in a win over the Kings, according to this piece from Jacob Douglas of SB Nation.

Jazz

Rookie center Walker Kessler is entering the concussion protocol and will likely miss the remainder of the regular season, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

Kessler is among the main reasons the Jazz have remained in the postseason picture late in the season, averaging 9.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocks and shooting 72 percent from the field.

• As of today, the Jazz own the Nos. 9 and 14 overall selections in the NBA Draft lottery.

Rockets

Former Lakers coach Frank Vogel could be in the mix for the coaching job should the Rockets part ways with Stephen Silas, per John Granato of ESPN 97.5.

Granato also mentioned former Celtics coach Ime Udoka and ex-Nets coach Kenny Atkinson as possibilities. Udoka previously had been linked to Houston, as we relayed here.

“There are candidates out there. … Frank Vogel is the name [to monitor],” Granato said, via Andrei de Guzman of TalkBasket. “Frank Vogel is a hell of a coach, has pelts, is a guy who is going to expect and have guys be accountable. Ime Udoka is going to be like that too. … Kenny Atkinson is a name that you should look at. He has Rockets ties and he’s a Golden State guy right now, he’s under Steve Kerr as an assistant.

“These are some names that, the whispers that I’m hearing inside and out of place in the organization.”