No, it is not the Messiahs – well maybe for some NBA team. But to get to the point where CSKA head coach Ettore Messina goes to the NBA, something else has to happen first: CSKA Moscow needs a new coach.
It looks like CSKA is looking into new coaches right now. In this Turkish basketball forum it is mentioned that CSKA offers a 3 year contract with 4 million EUR per year to the current head coach of Efes Pilsen, David Blatt.
This has been confirmed by the CSKA general manager.
So what team is a fit for the Italian coach? Will he be the first European head coach or will he enter the NBA as another assistant coach? Since we heard that NBA coaches like Cleveland’s head coach Brown consult Ettore Messina or at least discuss “things” with him it should be unlikely that Ettore Messina will come to the NBA as an assistant coach.
So far we know of one team that is already called the “Euroaptors” with a GM that loves Europeans and his assistant who is Italian. Maybe that might be a good fit? We will wait and see I guess.
Moreover, remember that Messina coached Benetton with Gherardini as GM…
He’s going to the Cavs..
He will be following three seasons coach of CSKA or Barcelona.
Kushchenko will negotiate with italians, Barcelona has long been said about him
Keep in mind, most coaches would NOT be ok with him on their bench, becuase it would look like that he is just waiting to take their job(Look at the wizards last summer).
The raptors would love to have him no doubt, but I dont know if they can lure him with 1mil per year deal Vs the larger Euro deal (also in euros) that he can get on his home turf.
The word out there for some months now is that Messina will indeed leave CSKA at the end of the season, with F.C.Barcelona as the most likely destination for him. Anyway, many things can happen, especially since Barça could fail to qualify to the Euroleague, becoming a significantly less appealing option for the Italian coach.
I will bet the Toronto Raptors will hire him in the upcoming offseason, now that Sam Mitchell is gone! Which was a very necessary move to make. The Raps need proper coaching, badly! They have the talent but not the coach to conduct the orcestra (stupid example).