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Knicks Notes: Anunoby, Brunson, Hartenstein, Hart, DiVincenzo, Adjustments

May 13th, 2024 at 7:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

OG Anunoby won’t play in Game 5 of the Knicks’ series against the Pacers on Tuesday due to a strained left hamstring but the injury report isn’t all bad news, Steve Popper of Newsday tweets. Jalen Brunson, who is battling a right foot injury, and Isaiah Hartenstein, who banged his left shoulder in Game 4, are not on it. Anunoby hasn’t played since Game 2.

We have more on the Knicks:

They were embarrassed by their performance in Game 4, when they lost by 32 points. Ironman Josh Hart took his share of the blame, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post writes. “It’s the playoffs. You gotta find it. That’s something that we didn’t do (Sunday),” Hart said. “I put that on my shoulders, someone who brings energy, brings hustle, the kinda things I didn’t do (Sunday). It’s time to get better. It’s rest and recovery. But mentally, we gotta make sure we’re prepared to do everything we need to do to get a win on Tuesday.”
They return home for Game 5 and Donte DiVincenzo is confident the Game 4 stinker won’t carry over, according to Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post. “We’ll be fine,” he said. “We’re not worried about it. I know this group and Tuesday is a different game. It has nothing to do with (Sunday). It’s always good to go home. It’s also better to go home after a loss like this where mentally everybody is locked in and ready for the next game and then we will have that energy from the Garden to feed off as well. It’s super big for us. Like I said, this group is going to respond.”
What kind of adjustments can they make? Fred Katz of The Athletic speculates they might use Brunson more off the ball, running him around screens and having Hart or DiVincenzo initiate the offense. They could also tweak the lineup, going with Miles McBride in place of Precious Achiuwa to create better spacing on offense.

Donovan Mitchell Won’t Play In Game 4

May 13th, 2024 at 5:08pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Cavaliers leading scorer Donovan Mitchell will miss Game 4 against the Celtics tonight due to a left calf strain, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.

The absence of Mitchell puts Cleveland in a dire situation as it tries to even the series. The Cavs trail the top-seeded Celtics, 2-1, after losing Game 3 on their home floor.

Mitchell was listed as questionable to play on Sunday’s injury report. Concern grew when he didn’t take part in the open portion of the team’s shootaround, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reports. Mitchell watched film and underwent treatment but did not warm up for the game.

“Just the other night, toward the back end of that fourth quarter, it just started to build on him and became sore,” Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said.

Mitchell scored a team-high 33 points in 43 minutes in Game 3. Starting center Jarrett Allen remains out due to a bruised rib.

Caris LeVert will start in place of Mitchell.

Mitchell Robinson Undergoes Another Ankle Surgery

May 13th, 2024 at 4:18pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Knicks center Mitchell Robinson underwent a surgical procedure on his left ankle today, Ian Begley of SNY TV tweets.

Robinson was ruled out for the remainder of the postseason last week after he sustained a stress injury to the ankle. At that time, it was reported that he wouldn’t require surgery.

That changed after additional consideration by his surgeon and the Knicks’ medical staff. Begley adds that it was a small procedure. Robinson will still be re-evaluated in six-to-eight weeks, which was the same timetable given last week.

Robinson underwent surgery on the same ankle in December. He didn’t return until March 27.

Overall, Robinson only appeared in 31 regular season games and six postseason contests. He has two years remaining on his four-year, front-loaded $60MM contract.

Robinson also underwent surgery for a thumb injury last season.

Southwest Notes: Spurs, Grizzlies, Rockets, Doncic

May 13th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Two days after honoring last year’s No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama with the presentation of his Rookie of the Year award on Friday (Andrew Lopez of ESPN has the details), the Spurs enjoyed a successful draft lottery for a second consecutive spring on Sunday. As Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required) writes, general manager Brian Wright said San Antonio was thrilled to come away from Sunday’s event with the No. 4 and No. 8 picks.

“You are always looking at how you build a team and how do you get enough bites at the apple with whatever mechanism, and two lottery picks gives us a great opportunity to add two young players to our young core or also see what else is out there,” Wright said. “Like we do everything, we will evaluate all options.”

The Spurs’ own pick moved up one spot to No. 4 as a result of the lottery drawing, while the top-six protected pick that the Raptors owed San Antonio fell from No. 6 to No. 8, outside of its protected range. Spurs management may have preferred to acquire that pick in a stronger draft year, but there’s no guarantee it would’ve landed inside the top 10 in any other year.

Whether the Spurs keep or trade their lottery picks, finding players who complement Wembanyama will be a top priority, Wright confirmed.

“You definitely take that into consideration because you want to build a team that is cohesive and can grow together,” the GM said.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

As happy as the Spurs were with Sunday’s lottery results, it’s worth noting that accounting for the cap holds for those two lottery selections at No. 4 and No. 8 will cut into their projected cap space. Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link) now has San Antonio projected for about $19.5MM in room, assuming the team waives Devonte’ Graham and Charles Bassey.
The Grizzlies have recently parted ways with several assistant coaches, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic, who tweets that head coach Taylor Jenkins is restructuring his staff this spring. Iko didn’t specify exactly which coaches have been let go.
Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal considers some of the options the Grizzlies will have with the No. 9 pick in the draft, discussing which prospects could fit the team at that spot and whether it makes sense to trade up, down, or out of the draft.
Asked after the Rockets landed the No. 3 pick in the draft lottery what sort of roster needs his team might want to address this offseason, head coach Ime Udoka pointed to shooting, shot creation, and positional versatility as traits Houston will be looking for, according to Iko. “Shooting is always at a premium, so you look at that,” Udoka said. “Versatility across the board with how we defend and want to play. And well-rounded players, we want shot creation as well. Trying to cover all the bases and with that third pick, you can do that with a lot of these players.”
While there has been no indication that he won’t play, Mavericks star Luka Doncic is once again listed as questionable for Monday’s Game 4 due to his right knee sprain and left ankle soreness, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required) takes a closer look at the beating that Doncic has taken so far in the playoffs, noting that the MVP finalist told reporters that “everything” was sore after the Mavs’ Game 3 victory.

2024 NBA Offseason Preview: Detroit Pistons

May 13th, 2024 at 3:34pm CST by Luke Adams

With Cade Cunningham healthy and set to return after being limited to 12 games in 2022/23 due to a leg injury, the Pistons entered last fall with aspirations of being in the play-in mix and perhaps even getting their young core some postseason experience.

That goal seemed sensible enough through the first three games of the season, which included a pair of wins and a one-point loss. It looked – to put it mildly – increasingly unrealistic as Detroit lost its next 28 games in a row and 35 of its next 36 in total. Suddenly, the organization’s goal was simply to avoid the embarrassment of posting the NBA’s worst record of all-time. The team avoided that fate, but its 11-32 finish following a 3-36 start was hardly cause for legitimate optimism entering the summer.

It has been over four years since the Pistons launched their rebuild in earnest and three years since they landed the No. 1 overall pick that they used to draft Cunningham. The process that general manager Troy Weaver repeatedly referred to as a “restoration” rather than a rebuild was supposed to bear more fruit by now.

The lack of forward progress in Detroit has already cost Weaver his role as head of basketball operations and could result in more significant changes to the Pistons’ roster this offseason, with players once considered long-term building blocks perhaps having their futures on the roster reconsidered.

The Pistons’ Offseason Plan

The Pistons are in the market for a new head of basketball operations and until they officially make a hire, it’s hard to get a sense of exactly what direction their offseason will take. Assuming that new executive has the final say on basketball decisions, which is the expectation, the way he feels about specific players will go a long way toward determining the moves Detroit makes.

At this point though, it seems safe to assume that Cunningham isn’t going anywhere. The 22-year-old will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason and looks like the Piston whose ceiling is the highest, so I’d expect the organization to make an effort to get him locked up for the long term. The only real question there is whether or not he gets the max.

As bad as the Pistons have been since Cunningham made his debut in 2021, he continues to trend in the right direction on an individual level, establishing new career highs in 2023/24 in categories like points (22.7) and assists (7.5) per game, along with field goal percentage (44.9%) and three-point percentage (35.5%). It would be nice if 2022/23 hadn’t been a lost season or if he’d been something a little closer to an All-Star level player this year, but I suspect he’s shown enough to warrant a maximum-salary investment — especially since Detroit’s cap for the years to come is pretty clear.

I’d expect Ausar Thompson, last year’s No. 5 overall pick, to remain part of the core for now too. His jump shot has a long way to go (he made just 21 of 113 three-pointers as a rookie), but he’s a terrific positional rebounder and has tremendous upside as a defender, so should develop into a valuable role player even if he never becomes a reliable threat from outside. If the three-point percentage increases, his ceiling as a player will increase along with it.

Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, the Pistons’ lottery picks in 2022, once looked like foundational pieces, but that’s not a certainty heading into the summer of 2024. There are questions about Ivey’s fit next to Cunningham and about Duren’s ability to grow into the kind of defensive anchor and rim protector Detroit would need him to be.

That’s not to say there’s not a place for them in the Pistons’ future, but it’s certainly more of an open question than it seemed to be a year or two ago, especially since the new head of basketball operations will have no particular attachment to those youngsters, having not drafted them himself. The same goes for Isaiah Stewart, who could become a trade chip on his new rookie scale extension if Detroit decides he’s not part of the long-term plan.

Of course, the Pistons will have the opportunity to add another young prospect to their core this June with the No. 5 overall pick in the draft. There has been some speculation that first-rounder could be used as a trade chip, but that will depend on which players come off the board in the top four and what kind of offers are on the table for the pick.

There’s not a ton of excitement about the top of this year’s draft class, but that means the drop-off from No. 1 to No. 5 might not be significant. The Pistons’ new president may want to put his stamp on the franchise right away by taking a swing on a potential cornerstone in that spot. A sharpshooter like Reed Sheppard, a play-making forward like Matas Buzelis, or a three-and-D forward like Zaccharie Risacher would be among the most intriguing options, assuming they’re still available.

The Pistons only have about $57MM in guaranteed money on their books for 2024/25, so even after accounting for cap holds for restricted free agent Simone Fontecchio and the No. 5 pick, they could create upwards of $65MM+ in cap room. After using up that room, they’d be able to go over the cap to re-sign Fontecchio using his Early Bird rights, which I expect they’ll do. A three-point shooter with some size, Fontecchio made a strong positive impression down the stretch after being acquired from Utah and should be in line for a new deal worth at least $12-14MM per year.

Besides Fontecchio, two other notable Pistons are eligible for restricted free agency. However, I don’t expect either former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman or unlikely 50-point man Malachi Flynn to receive qualifying offers to make them RFAs. They simply haven’t shown enough during their first four seasons in the league to warrant it.

Now, it’s worth noting that Wiseman’s qualifying offer amount dropped by more than half, to about $7.7MM, when he failed to meet the starter criteria, so if the new head of basketball operations remains high on the big man, perhaps the Pistons will decide to take a shot on him for at least one more year. But I’d be surprised if Wiseman gets any sort of multiyear deal like the one Detroit gave Marvin Bagley III in a similar spot a couple years ago.

So what’s the plan for the rest of the cap room? Rumors in recent weeks have suggested that Tobias Harris, Miles Bridges, Malik Monk, and Nic Claxton could be among the free agent targets near the top of Detroit’s board, with trade candidates like Brandon Ingram and Zach LaVine also worth keeping an eye on.

Of course, as we’ve mentioned a couple times already, the new president’s likes and dislikes could go a long way toward morphing that list into something new as the offseason progresses. Remember, Houston was viewed as a prime suitor for James Harden a year ago until the team hired a new head coach (Ime Udoka) who wasn’t all that interested in pursuing the former MVP.

The Rockets, who had the most cap space of any NBA team in 2023, ultimately ended up targeting a couple hard-nosed veterans – Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks – who were capable of making an impact on both ends of the floor and complementing Houston’s young core. The Rockets arguably overpaid both players to make sure they landed them.

With a ton of cap room and few long-term commitments on their books, the Pistons could afford to take a similar path this summer, throwing significant short-term money at their top targets and getting out from under those contracts before they’ll need to invest in second deals for most of their young players.

I expect the club to focus on wings who can shoot and big men who can play defense, so the free agents mentioned above all make sense. If they’re more interested in spreading their cap space across three or four players, then Gary Trent Jr., Royce O’Neale, Caleb Martin, Isaac Okoro, and Isaiah Hartenstein are a few others who might be fits.

Salary Cap Situation

Guaranteed Salary

Isaiah Stewart ($15,000,000)
Cade Cunningham ($13,940,809)
Ausar Thompson ($8,376,000)
Jaden Ivey ($7,977,240)
Jalen Duren ($4,536,840)
Quentin Grimes ($4,296,682)
Marcus Sasser ($2,755,080)
Total: $56,882,651

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Troy Brown ($4,000,000)
Buddy Boeheim (two-way)
Tosan Evbuomwan (two-way)
Total: $4,000,000

Dead/Retained Salary

Dewayne Dedmon ($2,748,674)
Total: $2,748,674

Player Options

None

Team Options

Evan Fournier ($19,000,000): Bird rights
Chimezie Metu ($2,654,644): Non-Bird rights
Stanley Umude ($2,120,693): Early Bird rights
Total: $23,775,337

Note: Metu’s and Umude’s salaries would remain non-guaranteed if their options are exercised.

Restricted Free Agents

James Wiseman ($7,744,600 qualifying offer / $30,298,600 cap hold): Bird rights
Malachi Flynn ($5,809,537 qualifying offer / $11,619,075 cap hold): Bird rights
Simone Fontecchio ($5,216,324 qualifying offer / $5,216,324 cap hold): Early Bird rights
Total (cap holds): $47,133,999

Two-Way Free Agents

Jared Rhoden: Early Bird rights

Note: Because he has finished each of the past two seasons on a two-way contract with the Pistons, Rhoden’s qualifying offer would be worth the minimum salary for a player worth two years of NBA experience (projected to be $2,093,637). It will include a small partial guarantee.

Draft Picks

No. 5 overall pick ($8,269,440)
No. 53 overall pick (no cap hold)
Total (cap holds): $8,269,440

Extension-Eligible Players

Cade Cunningham (rookie scale)
Evan Fournier (veteran)
- Extension-eligible until June 30 (or beyond, if his team option is exercised).
Quentin Grimes (rookie scale)

Note: Unless otherwise indicated, these players are eligible for extensions beginning in July.

Unrestricted Free Agents

Taj Gibson ($2,093,637 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
Total (cap holds): $2,093,637

Cap Exceptions Available

Note: The Pistons project to operate under the cap. They would have to renounce three trade exceptions – worth $10,489,600, $1,386,800, and $800,926 – in order to use cap room.

Room exception: $8,006,000

Scotto’s Latest: Wizards, Kuzma, Hawks, Bridges, Brogdon, DeRozan, More

May 13th, 2024 at 2:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards already hold a pair of picks in the first round of this year’s draft at No. 2 and No. 26, but there’s an expectation that they’ll try to acquire another 2024 first-rounder, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

As Scotto explains, the Wizards’ current front office – led by president Michael Winger and general manager Will Dawkins – is focused on building through the draft and developing young talent. The group made its first lottery pick last year when it used the No. 7 selection to nab Bilal Coulibaly, who was one of the NBA’s youngest players this past season. It sounds like Washington is in no hurry to accelerate its rebuild and won’t be opposed to taking fliers on more young, raw prospects, with Scotto indicating that the club also has its eye on the 2025 draft class.

Within his discussion of the Wizards’ next steps, Scotto adds that forward Kyle Kuzma is expected to generate interest on the trade market again this summer after being included in some discussions leading up to the February deadline. Prior to the trade deadline, Washington reportedly brought a Mavericks offer to Kuzma and asked him if he wanted to be moved — he opted to remain in D.C.

Here’s more from Scotto:

Echoing previous reports, Scotto says there’s a “widespread belief” from rival executives that the Hawks will break up their starting backcourt of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray this offseason by trading one of the two guards. Those execs also believe that Atlanta will be more open than ever to moving Young, though Scotto’s sources say the Spurs didn’t have “substantive” discussions about the three-time All-Star earlier this year and are skeptical that will change this summer.
In addition to the Hornets, the teams expected to have interested in free agent forward Miles Bridges this summer include the Pistons and Jazz, league sources tell Scotto.
Rival executives are keeping an eye on Trail Blazers guard Malcolm Brogdon as a potential offseason trade candidates, Scotto says. Brogdon will be on a $22.5MM expiring contract and there’s an expectation that Portland will be looking to shed some salary.
There’s a belief around the NBA that DeMar DeRozan will ultimately re-sign with the Bulls rather than changing teams as a free agent, according to Scotto, who notes that the veteran forward is comfortable in his role in Chicago and the Bulls are seemingly willing to pay him.
Scotto refers to G League Ignite forward Matas Buzelis as a “notable” candidate for the Pistons with the No. 5 overall pick, pointing out that Buzelis is represented by agent Michael Tellem, the son of Pistons vice chairman Arn Tellem.

Draft Notes: Combine, Mocks, Holland, Trade Rumors, Osobor

May 13th, 2024 at 1:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Boogie Ellis (USC), Isaac Jones (Washington State), Jesse Edwards (West Virginia), Nae’Qwan Tomlin (Memphis), and Enrique Freeman (Akron) are among the prospects who stood out at the G League Elite Camp over the weekend and earned invitations to participate in the NBA’s combine this week, according to a series of tweets from Jonathan Givony of ESPN. The G League officially confirmed Givony’s reporting (Twitter link).

The combine got underway in Chicago on Monday, with all participants taking part in shooting drills and undergoing strength, agility, and performance testing.

Language in the NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement requires all prospects to participate in those aspects of the combine, though they’re still permitted to opt out of this week’s scrimmages. Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) identifies several of the fringe first-rounders who have decided to pass on scrimmaging, including Kyshawn George (Miami), Carlton Carrington (Pittsburgh), Kevin McCullar (Kansas), and Johnny Furphy (Kansas), among many others.

As Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network tweets, prospects whose international teams’ seasons haven’t ended are permitted to miss the combine, but those players – including Zaccharie Risacher of JL Bourg and Nikola Topic (Crvena Zvezda) – will be required to complete “pre-draft activities” at a later date.

Here are several more draft-related notes:

Wasserman, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, and Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN.com updated their 2024 mock drafts following the conclusion of Sunday’s lottery to reflect the new order. All three mocks have the Hawks using the No. 1 overall pick on French big man Alexandre Sarr.
John Hollinger of The Athletic has shared his rankings of the top 20 prospects in the 2024 draft class, with plenty of choices that deviate from the consensus. Hollinger has G League Ignite guard Ron Holland at No. 1, with Sarr at No. 5 and Risacher (ESPN’s top prospect) all the way down at No. 13.
Zach Lowe of ESPN (Insider link) and Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, two of the media members who were in the draft lottery drawing room on Sunday, share some behind-the-scenes observations from the event and consider what’s next for the teams most impacted by Sunday’s results. Sources tell Lowe that the Rockets (No. 3) and Grizzlies (No. 9) are expected to be among the teams that explore trade possibilities with their picks, though both teams could ultimately end up hanging onto their lottery selections. Meanwhile, Wizards general manager Will Dawkins told Fischer that he thinks “there are multiple All-Stars in this class.” Washington holds the No. 2 pick.
Coming off his junior year at Utah State, forward Great Osobor is testing the NBA draft waters, but it sounds like he’ll end up transferring to a new school for his senior year. According to Givony, Osobor has an NIL deal in place with Washington worth $2MM, which is the most lucrative known deal in college basketball this season.
A series of ESPN’s NBA reporters explore the biggest questions facing every lottery team.

Southeast Notes: Wizards, Schnall, Longstaff, Hawks

May 13th, 2024 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Wizards will have plenty of draft options after landing the No. 2 pick in this year’s lottery, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. General manager Will Dawkins, who was inside the lottery drawing room to learn his team’s fate, admitted there was some slight disappointment in not getting the top selection, but he’s confident about adding another valuable piece to the rebuilding process.

“I would say that there’s a lot of optionality at the top of the draft, and there’s probably not the same level of instant gratification that you can see in year one with some of these rookies,” Dawkins said. “But if you really dive down and have some patience and have a forward-thinking outlook, these players are going to be pretty good players in the NBA a few years from now.”

Last year’s selection of Bilal Coulibaly, who Washington traded up one spot to get, indicates that the front office is prioritizing players who understand the game and possess a strong work ethic, Robbins adds. He identifies G League Ignite forward Matas Buzelis, Connecticut center Donovan Clingan, French wing Zaccharie Risacher, French big man Alexandre Sarr and Serbian point guard Nikola Topic as players in this year’s draft class who fit that description.

Coulibaly offered a scouting report on Risacher, whom he faced in France last season.

“Risacher, he’s got a lot of talent, a lot of talent,” Coulibaly said. “I played against him, like, two times last year. A great shot-maker. He can create his own shot. Yeah, a really good player.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

There wasn’t any lottery luck for the Hornets, who had the third-best odds for the top pick but dropped to No. 6 when three teams leapfrogged them, notes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Even though he didn’t get the result he wanted, co-owner Rick Schnall enjoyed his first look inside the lottery room. “It happens really fast and they run it in an incredibly efficient way,” he said. “And your disappointment comes really quickly. But it was interesting and it was good to see who was in the room, watch how the NBA runs it and understand — it might be my last time in there.” Schnall expressed confidence that Charlotte can find a productive player at No. 6 and called the lottery “just another step” in the process of building a competitive team.
Assistant coach Josh Longstaff will leave the Bulls to become part of Charles Lee‘s staff with the Hornets, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. He joins former Jazz assistant Lamar Skeeter, who was hired last week.
Hawks executive David Starkman, the team’s representative in the lottery drawing room, didn’t know how to react when Atlanta overcame long odds to win the No. 1 pick, per Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. The vice president of player personnel wasn’t familiar with what is considered acceptable behavior inside the lottery room. “I wasn’t sure what the protocol is,” Starkman said. “This isn’t the room to celebrate.”
The lottery win adds $7MM to the Hawks‘ projected team salary and pushes that figure above the first tax apron, notes Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link).

Pistons Hoping To Hire Tim Connelly As President Of Basketball Operations?

May 13th, 2024 at 10:55am CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons appear to be targeting Timberwolves president Tim Connelly in their search for a new president of basketball operations, according to James L. Edwards III and Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Sources tell Edwards and Charania that Connelly is expected to opt out of the final year of his contract with Minnesota this summer. Although it seems likely that he’ll sign a long-term deal with the Wolves, the authors speculate that Detroit owner Tom Gores could potentially land him with an aggressive offer in the range of $15MM per year.

The Pistons’ search for someone to run the front office has moved slowly since it was announced. The Bucks reportedly denied permission for Detroit to interview team president Jon Horst, and former Trail Blazers executive Neil Olshey refused an invitation to interview for the job.

The Pistons have moved onto other candidates, with the authors hearing that Pelicans general manager Trajan Langdon, Mavericks consultant Dennis Lindsey and Bulls general manager Marc Eversley have become “viable targets” for the role.

In the same piece, Edwards and Charania speculate that falling to No. 5 in the draft lottery may boost leaguewide interest in the Pistons’ first-round pick. Because there’s not a set tier of players at the top of this year’s draft, rival teams may believe the fifth pick could bring a talent similar to the top choice. It also comes at a significant discount, as the authors note that last year’s No. 1 pick, Victor Wembanyama, will earn between $12MM and $16MM for the rest of his rookie contract, while No. 5 pick Ausar Thompson will be paid between $8.3MM and $11.1MM.

Woj: James Borrego, J.J. Redick “Names To Watch” In Lakers’ Coaching Search

May 13th, 2024 at 10:02am CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers will intensify their search for a new head coach at this week’s Draft Combine in Chicago, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (video link), who identifies James Borrego and J.J. Redick as “names to watch” in that process.

Borrego currently serves as lead assistant for the Pelicans and helped the team develop a top-10 offense by utilizing Zion Williamson as a point forward, Wojnarowski notes. Borrego was the head coach in Charlotte from 2018-22, compiling a 138-163 record in four seasons. He also went 10-20 as interim coach in Orlando at the end of the 2014/15 season and spent time as an assistant to Gregg Popovich in San Antonio as well.

Redick is a member of ESPN/ABC’s top broadcasting team and has become a prominent media figure since retiring as a player in 2021. Although he doesn’t have any coaching experience, he benefits from a close relationship with Lakers star LeBron James, who serves as his co-host on the “Mind of the Game” podcast.

Lakers officials are expected to begin contacting rival teams this week to request permission to interview their assistant coaches, Woj adds. A report on Saturday identified Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, Nuggets assistant David Adelman, Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney, and Heat assistant Chris Quinn as potential candidates, but Nori, Adelman and Sweeney are all still involved with playoff teams.

L.A. will likely conduct a “long search” and interview numerous candidates before hiring its next coach, according to Wojnarowski.