Southeast Notes: Lin, Beal, Horford, Patterson
Hornets point guard Jeremy Lin says Hawks assistant Kenny Atkinson helped lay the groundwork for “Lin-sanity,” relays Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Atkinson, who will become the Nets’ new head coach once Atlanta’s playoff run is complete, aided in Lin’s development when both were with the Knicks. “I’ll text after a game at midnight, one o’clock when I go home,” Lin recalls, “and I’ll say, ‘Hey, can I look at those turnovers? Can I look at the upcoming team? How they run pick-and-rolls?’ And he’ll have the film ready when I walk into the facility the next morning. When I wasn’t playing much, we were working out before practice, and after practice, he was picking apart my game, teaching me what it’s like to play in Coach [Mike] D’Antoni’s system.”
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Restricted free agent Bradley Beal said he and backcourt partner John Wall both have to play better for the Wizards to be successful, according to J. Michael of CSN Mid-Atlantic. The fourth-year shooting guard was limited to a career-low 55 games this season and was placed on a minutes restriction after doctors found “the beginnings of a stress reaction in his lower right fibula” in December. “It’s been a rocky year in terms of injuries, offense changing, getting used to playing with new guys on the team and adjusting to a few things,” Beal said. “We both should’ve had a better year than we had. We should’ve carried the team a little better than what we did. We both can attest to it.”
- The Hawks‘ Al Horford stands to more than double his salary in free agency and may change the perception of who deserves a max contract, writes Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders. Horford is making $12MM this season, but when he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer after completing his ninth NBA season, he will be eligible for a contract starting at approximately 30% of the salary cap, or about $26MM. Hamilton says that may seem expensive for a player who has never averaged 20 points per game, but Horford will likely define the market for fellow free agents Pau Gasol, Dwyane Wade, Mike Conley and Harrison Barnes.
- The Hawks sent Lamar Patterson back to the Austin Spurs of the D-League to finish their playoff series, according to Chris Vivlamore of The Journal Constitution. Atlanta recalled Patterson on Friday after Tim Hardaway Jr. suffered a groin injury.
Xavier PF Jalen Reynolds Will Remain In Draft
APRIL 17TH, 6:54pm: Reynolds will remain in the draft and has hired Mike Silverman and Brandon Grier of Athlete Management Group as his agents, according a Facebook post from Shams Charania of The Vertical.
MARCH 29TH, 3:03pm: Xavier junior power forward Jalen Reynolds will enter the draft without an agent, sources told Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (Twitter link). He’ll have the chance to return to college ball if he withdraws before the May 25th deadline. That seems likely, as Reynolds is a long-shot NBA prospect, coming in just 161st overall on Chad Ford’s ESPN Insider rankings. He’s outside the top 100 with Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress, who simply lists him as the 21st best junior.
Reynolds only averaged 19.6 minutes per game despite starting in all but two of his appearances this season, in part because of foul trouble. He led the Big East with 115 personal fouls. Still, the 6’10” 23-year-old made the most of his time on the boards, pulling down 6.5 per contest to go with 9.6 points per game. He had one of his best outings in Xavier’s season-ending loss to Wisconsin in the NCAA Tournament, notching 13 points and nine rebounds.
Teammate Trevon Bluiett is also reportedly testing the draft waters this year. Unlike Bluiett, Reynolds entered Xavier unranked in the Recruiting Services Consensus Index, so he’s less likely to have been on the radar for NBA teams.
Pacific Notes: Walton, Kupchak, Karl, Curry
Warriors assistant Luke Walton has already interviewed for head coaching positions with the Knicks and Nets, reports Marc Berman of The New York Post. Walton pulled his name out of consideration with Brooklyn, which announced the hiring of Kenny Atkinson earlier today. Golden State is reportedly allowing Walton to talk to other franchises as long as there’s no conflict with its playoff schedule. A source told Berman that Walton may decide to remain with the Warriors for another season.
There’s more news from the Pacific Division:
- The video controversy involving D’Angelo Russell and Nick Young may have brought bad publicity to the Lakers, but GM Mitch Kupchak doesn’t believe it will scare off any free agents, writes Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com. Kupchak said the incident “becomes less and less of a story” every day, and he complimented both players on the way they handled it. “We’ve dealt with players in this organization, on this team, that have made mistakes over the years,” Kupchak said, “and we’ve gotten through it and had great teams and won championships.” He believes Young and Russell can settle their differences if they are teammates again next year. However, the Lakers are rumored to want to part ways with Young, either through a trade or buyout. He still has two years and more than $11.1MM left on his contract.
- UNLV has hired Marvin Menzies as its new head coach, passing on ex-Kings coach George Karl, according to Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com. Menzies, who had been coaching at New Mexico State, replaces Chris Beard, who backed out of the UNLV job to go to Texas Tech instead. Karl had contacted UNLV about the opening and mutual interest was reported Friday.
- The opt-out clause that the Kings included in Seth Curry‘s contract could help him land a much better deal, writes Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. After an impressive summer-league performance, Sacramento signed Curry last July, giving him a two-year deal with a $1,015,696 player option for next season that he has to decide on this week. Curry’s performance over the second half of the season may cause someone to pay him a lot more, as he averaged more than 11 points per game after the All-Star break. “I think I’ve played pretty well and showed some different things in my game that will set me up for the future to show I can be a good player in this league for a long time,” Curry said.
Hoops Links: Knicks, Sixers, Pistons
Every Sunday, we link to some of the very best work from around the basketball blogosphere. Do you have a link to a great basketball blog post – either your own or someone else’s – that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Then you should send it to us at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s rundown …
- The All Out Sports Network analyzes the Raptors-Pacers matchup.
- Total Sports Live discusses Sam Hinkie‘s tenure with the Sixers.
- The Runner Sports makes a case for New York to hire Kurt Rambis.
- Detroit Bad Boys looks at the probability of the Pistons beating the Cavs.
- Pounding The Rock examines the Spurs’ offense recently.
- The Dream Shake wonders what role Corey Brewer should have with the Rockets.
- Indy Cornrows profiles the Pacers’ second unit for the playoffs.
Please send submissions for Hoops Links to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.
Magic Notes: Fournier, Veterans, Hezonja
The Magic want to re-sign Evan Fournier, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel writes. “One of our biggest, if not our biggest, priorit[ies] is to make sure Evan stays with us,” Magic GM Rob Hennigan said, “and we’re confident we’ll be able to do that.” Orlando intends to pursue targeted free agents aggressive this summer but won’t overspend out of desperation if it doesn’t land one of its top targets, Robbins adds.
Here’s more out of Orlando:
- The Magic would likely benefit from adding difference-making veterans this offseason, Robbins details in a separate piece. Jason Smith and C.J. Watson are the Magic’s most-tenured players, but they’re role players, Robbins writes. To add more experienced players, the Magic have up to $45MM in cap space for free agents, as Robbins points out.
- Orlando does not have a star returning and its chances of landing one this summer are slim, but the Celtics and Hornets have proven that the Magic can still experience a winning season, Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel opines.
- Mario Hezonja figures to have a critical role for the Magic going forward and he will stay busy this summer by playing for Croatia in an Olympic Qualifying Tournament from July 4th through July 9th in Italy, Robbins writes in another piece. The summer between a player’s first and second seasons typically is a crucial time in a player’s career, as Robbins notes, so it will be interesting to see how Hezonja responds.
Bucks Notes: Plumlee, Antetokounmpo, Arena
of the Journal Sentinel details. Center is a high priority for the Bucks this summer, Gardner writes, despite the franchise signing Greg Monroe to a three-year maximum contract last summer. There were high hopes for the Bucks this season after Monroe signed for $50MM, but Milwaukee largely disappointed with a 33-49 record. Plumlee is a solid fit for the Bucks, Gardner adds, because he is athletic and can run the floor, and the Bucks want to push the pace with their young roster.
Here’s more out of Milwaukee:
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, who will be in the final year of his rookie-scale deal next season, is poised to be an All-Star for several years, especially if he can improve his 3-point shooting, Gary D’Amato of the Journal Sentinel opines. Antetokounmpo, who starred at the point guard position during the second half of the season, will be eligible for a contract extension before October 31st and the Bucks plan on locking him up, D’Amato writes.
- Speaking of Antetokounmpo, Michael Carter-Williams, who started 37 games at point guard before suffering a torn labrum in his left hip and missing the season’s final 23 games, believes the two players can coexist on the court, relays of the Journal Sentinel. Carter-Williams is also poised to enter the final year of his rookie contract.
- Groundbreaking is set for June on the Bucks’ new downtown arena that is scheduled to open by the 2018/19 season, as Genaro C. Armas of The Associated Press details.
Nets Hire Kenny Atkinson As Coach
The Nets have hired Kenny Atkinson as their new head coach, the team announced via press release and as Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reported minutes before the announcement. Atkinson is currently an assistant for the Hawks.
The two sides came to an agreement over the weekend after weeks of discussions, Wojnarowski writes. Atkinson is expected to stay with Atlanta throughout the Hawks’ playoff run, the Nets said. Atkinson is highly regarded as one of the league’s best assistants and has been Mike Budenholzer’s top assistant coach for the past two years. Atkinson has been with the Hawks for a total of four seasons.
Prior to joining Atlanta, Atkinson was an assistant coach for four seasons with the Knicks (2008-2012), helping the team reach the postseason in 2011 and 2012. Atkinson also spent one season as the director of player development for the Rockets (2007-2008).
“We are thrilled to announce Kenny Atkinson as our new head coach and to welcome him and his family to Brooklyn,” said Nets GM Sean Marks in a press release. “Kenny’s years of NBA coaching experience working under successful head coaches such as Mike Budenholzer and Mike D’Antoni have provided him with the foundation and experience we were looking for in a head coach. We believe that Kenny’s core principles, leadership, communication skills and exceptional background in player development make him an ideal fit for the culture we are building in Brooklyn.”
It is worth mentioning that Marks and Atkinson share the same agent. Tony Brown was Brooklyn’s head coach on an interim basis, but he never seemed like a front-runner to secure the job beyond this past season and his future with the team is not yet clear. The Nets fired Lionel Hollins in early January on the same day they reassigned former GM Billy King. Brooklyn finished 21-61 this season.
Several high-profile names were linked to the Nets’ coaching job. Brett Brown, who reportedly isn’t assured of keeping his job with the Sixers, along with Luke Walton, Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy, Vinny Del Negro and Bucks assistant Sean Sweeney, were all reportedly in the mix for the Nets. Spurs assistant Ime Udoka was believed to be a leading candidate.
The decision to go with Atkinson is not a splashy one, and that is a different than moves the Nets have made in the past, as Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post tweets. Several members of the media, such as Frank Isola of the New York Daily News and Howard Beck of Bleacher Report, commended the Nets on their hire (Twitter links). Both scribes pointed to Atkinson’s work with Jeremy Lin while the coach and player were in New York together.
Atkinson is the first of several new coaching hires to take place across the league in the coming months. The Wolves dismissed interim coach Sam Mitchell, the Wizards fired Randy Wittman and the Kings parted ways with George Karl. The fate of Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff has yet to be decided. The Suns still need to make a decision regarding Earl Watson. The fate of Lakers coach Byron Scott remains up in the air as the team holds an option on his contract for next season. Knicks interim coach Kurt Rambis is expected to be interviewed for New York’s head coaching slot.
Pistons Notes: Van Gundy, Harris, Playoffs
The Pistons will take on the Cavs later today in their first playoff appearance since 2009, when they were swept by Cleveland. While the team prepares for the highly anticipated playoff game, let’s take a look at some notes from Detroit:
- Executive/coach Stan Van Gundy believes coach David Blatt, whom the Cavs fired during the season, deserves another shot in the league, David Mayo of MLive writes. Van Gundy added that there are plenty of good candidates on the market. “It’s also why it’s hard for a lot of these assistants to get their chance. [Detroit assistant coach] Bob Beyer’s more than ready, [Charlotte assistant coach] Patrick Ewing‘s more than ready. That’s just the guys I know. But it’s hard for those guys to get an opportunity because there aren’t enough jobs for guys who have a proven head-coaching record,” Van Gundy said.
- Van Gundy said he’s been perplexed for a while that Pacers assistant coach Nate McMillan hasn’t received an opportunity to be a head coach again, Mayo passes along in the same piece.
- The Pistons were really surprised to nab Tobias Harris prior to the deadline this year, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News. “His name wasn’t even out there for us until two days before we did the deal,” Van Gundy said.
- Harris’ focus since joining to the Pistons has been making the playoffs, which was something he really didn’t come close to in Orlando, Beard passes along in the same piece. “If we didn’t make the playoffs, I don’t know if I’d sleep at night,” Harris said. “I’ve been in situations on the other side for four years and that’s a tough side to be on, when you’re not in the playoff hunt.”
Draft Notes: Labissiere, Hield, Dunn
Washington State power forward Josh Hawkinson, point guard Ike Iroegbu and center Conor Clifford have all declared for the draft, according to a school press release. All three have declined to hire an agent, so they will all be eligible to return to school if they withdraw their names by the May 25th deadline. None of the three are expected to be drafted.
Here’s more on the prospects in the upcoming draft:
- Skal Labissiere has signed with Travis King of Relativity Sports, reports Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
- UConn sophomore Daniel Hamilton has signed with Sam Goldfeder of Excel Sports, Goodwin reports in a separate tweet.
- Buddy Hield hasn’t convinced the league that he has star potential, but if he can prove that he can be more of a facilitator during the predraft process, he could improve his stock, as one scout tells Derek Bodner, who writes a piece for USA Today.
- Kris Dunn is excited for the predraft process and views it as a opportunity to make believers out of the doubters, as he tells Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. “Every player in the draft wants to show what they can do and prove all of their doubters wrong. I’ve been doubted my whole life – on and off the court. I’m used to that and it definitely fuels my fire,” Dunn said.
Knicks Notes: Jackson, Anthony, Rambis
Team president Phil Jackson expects free agents to be more open to signing with the Knicks this summer than last offseason because of the team’s increase in wins and the presence of Kristaps Porzingis, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. “We’re talking about a team in the making,” Jackson said. “We’ve had so many people come up to us and say they really want to play [with] a guy like KP. … So we feel we have an attractive product here.”
Here’s more out of New York:
- Carmelo Anthony has mixed feelings on the triangle and he believes most players just want to be comfortable in a system, Berman adds in the same piece. Anthony, who has repeatedly expressed his interest in being a part of the Knicks‘ free agent process, believes adding players who fit the system will be a delicate issue this offseason. “I think it’s a fine line going after guys who can fit into the system and going after guys who can just play basketball and can bring a winning attitude to this,” Anthony said.
- Veteran players on the Knicks lobbied for Jerian Grant and the other younger members of the team to get more playing time earlier in the season, but coach Kurt Rambis and Jackson scoffed at the idea, reports Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Jackson believed that Grant couldn’t contribute to the team’s win total.
- Rambis finished the season 9-19 since taking over for Derek Fisher and would like an opportunity to build on his time with the Knicks, Bondy writes in a separate piece. “I want to be the head coach here,” Rambis said. “I think we can continue to get better as a ballclub and we can continue to improve, but that’s a decision that’s out of my hands.”