David Blatt reportedly to sign with Turkish basketball team
Published May 31, 2016
(JTA) — American-Israeli basketball coach David Blatt reportedly is set to sign a deal with a Turkish team.
The former Cleveland Cavaliers coach, who had tried to stay in the NBA after being fired midway through the 2015-16 season, will sign with Istanbul-based Darussafaka, the Europe-based basketball reporter David Pick reported Tuesday.
Blatt’s deal is worth close to $2 million a year for an unspecified number of years, according to Pick.
Blatt had interviewed for open head coach positions with the Sacramento Kings and New York Knicks in the past two months. He was also being considered for the Los Angeles Lakers coaching job.
Cleveland.com reported Saturday that current Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue called Blatt’s firing “f—ed up” at the time. Before his firing, Blatt had led the team to a 30-11 record, the best in the Eastern Conference, following an NBA Finals appearance the previous season.
The Cavaliers have again advanced to the NBA Finals, which begin Thursday.
Darussafaka plays in the Turkish Basketball Super League.
