Pacific Notes: Scott, Russell, Karl, Clippers
Lakers coach Byron Scott struck a defiant tone in his end-of-season interview with the media today, lashing out at his critics, defending his approach with the team’s young players and saying that he “absolutely” believes he’ll be back to coach the team next season, even though he conceded GM Mitch Kupchak hasn’t given him any assurances. Skepticism has surrounded his long-term job security much of the season, but reports in recent days indicate Scott has a strong chance to stick around. Primary owner Jeanie Buss is making the case for Scott behind the scenes, as Ken Berger of CBSSports.com heard. Scott said he thinks the team’s young players responded well to his communication style, which was often blunt and drew the ire of fans and the media. “To be honest with you, I‘m much smarter than all of them when it comes to basketball,” Scott said of his detractors. Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com, Bill Oram of the Orange County Register and Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News relayed Scott’s remarks (All four Twitter links).
See more from the Pacific Division:
- The controversy surrounding D’Angelo Russell and Nick Young hurt the Lakers, Scott said, citing the trust issues it created, and while he said the two players have to work it out among themselves, he also expressed belief that the passage of time will help smooth out the situation, as Medina and Los Angeles Times scribe Eric Pincus relay (Twitter links). Still, Scott is high on Russell, Pincus tweets. “We love that kid,” Scott said.
- George Karl, whom the Kings fired Thursday, has already been in contact with UNLV about its coaching job, and mutual interest exists between Karl and the school, which initiated the dialogue Thursday night, reports Dan Wolken of USA Today. The UNLV job is once more open after Chris Beard left Friday for Texas Tech less than two weeks after taking the Vegas job, Wolken notes.
- The Clippers are exploring the idea of starting a D-League affiliate in Bakersfield, California, for next season, sources tell Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor. A void exists in Bakersfield, as the Suns this week announced they bought out the local owners of the D-League Bakersfield Jam and are moving their affiliate to Arizona, but the Bakersfield owners, Stan Ellis and David Higdon, are reportedly eager to partner with another NBA team. D-League president Malcolm Turner said the league would help them in that pursuit, Reichert notes. The Clippers are one of eight NBA teams remaining without a D-League affiliate. Startup costs would run an estimated $7MM, according to Reichert.
Hawks Plan Max Offer For Al Horford
The Hawks plan to offer the maximum salary to Al Horford when he becomes a free agent this summer, as Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution confirmed on the CSNNE.com Celtics Talk podcast Thursday in advance of Atlanta’s first-round playoff series against Boston (audio link; scroll to 17:10 mark). That’s no surprise, though whether the Hawks are prepared to make a full five-year max offer to the big man who turns 30 in June remains to be seen.
Atlanta likes rim protection at the center position, but other teams like him for his floor-stretching capabilities, Vivlamore observes. Horford reportedly places a high priority on signing for five years, which he can only do with the Hawks, but just about every other team in the league is nonetheless eyeing him, Vivlamore says, mentioning the Cavaliers, Raptors and Celtics specifically. Vivlamore makes similar remarks in a video with CineSport’s Noah Coslov on the Journal-Constitution site.
The Magic and Horford apparently share a mutual interest, but the Jason Glushon client enjoys playing in the Atlanta system, according to Vivlamore, who believes his fondness for Atlanta’s schemes will play a role in his decision. Vivlamore pegs the chances of Horford re-signing with the Hawks at 90%.
The starting salary in a max deal for Horford, a ninth-year veteran, will be around $25MM, with a salary cap expected to be at least $90MM. The Hawks, with close to $52MM in guaranteed salary already committed, would have a tight squeeze to re-sign fellow soon-to-be free agent Kent Bazemore if they bring back Horford at the max, since they only have Bazemore’s Early Bird rights. The swingman is poised for an outsized payday after a breakout season.
Horford is No. 5 in the latest 2016 Hoops Rumors Free Agent Power Rankings, one spot ahead of Atlanta native Dwight Howard. Kris Willis of Peachtree Hoops discussed Horford’s free agency with Hoops Rumors in an interview we posted earlier today.
Top Bloggers: Kris Willis On The Hawks
Anyone can have a blog about an NBA team, but some set themselves apart from the rest with the dedication and valuable insight they bring to their craft. We’ll be sharing some knowledge from these dialed-in writers on Hoops Rumors with a feature called Top Bloggers. As with The Beat, our ongoing series of interviews with NBA beat writers, it’s part of an effort to bring Hoops Rumors readers ever closer to the pulse of the teams they follow. Last time, we spoke about the Magic with Zach Oliver, managing editor of SB Nation’s Orlando Pinstriped Post. Click here to see the entire Top Bloggers series.
Next up is Kris Willis, managing editor of SB Nation’s Peachtree Hoops, a Hawks blog. You can follow Kris on Twitter at @Kris_Willis. Click here to check out his stories.
Hoops Rumors: The Hawks can open up approximately $20MM in cap room if they let Kent Bazemore walk as a free agent this summer. Bazemore is certainly in line for a decent raise over the $2MM he earned this season, which means Atlanta will have a difficult call to make. Do you think the team should re-sign him, and if so, how much will it need to pony up to keep him?
Kris Willis: There are a lot of similarities in Kent Bazemore’s situation and that of DeMarre Carroll‘s last offseason. Unfortunately for the Hawks, it could play out the same way with Bazemore signing a more lucrative deal elsewhere. Atlanta values its continuity, so I am sure they would like to keep Bazemore. However, the asking price is going to be high and that may limit what the Hawks can do in other areas to improve the club. Since Bazemore is on the final year of a two-year deal, the Hawks don’t have full Bird rights. Re-signing him will mean cutting into a good portion of what cap space they will have available.
Carroll ended up getting around $15MM a season. I still don’t have a good feel for what the cap explosion is going to mean for contracts. I have seen things that suggest that Bazemore could get anywhere from $12-15MM annually which to me seems high and may ultimately lead the Hawks to go searching for the next Kent Bazemore.
Still I think there is interest from both sides to keep him in Atlanta. If the Hawks do invest heavily in Bazemore, I’d like to see him playing more at the shooting guard position with the team bringing in a bigger option to help at small forward.
Hoops Rumors: Both Dennis Schröder and Jeff Teague are under contract for two more seasons. Which point guard should the team focus on retaining and building around? Why?
Kris Willis: Next to Al Horford‘s free agency, I expect this to be one of the biggest storylines of the offseason. The Hawks were rumored to be gauging the value of both players at the trade deadline. While Teague and Schröder are a solid one-two punch for the team, this is an area of strength and might be a way the team can shore up deficiencies in other areas.
Teague has been the engine that drives the Hawks for the last two seasons. He was an All-Star in 2015 and was the driving force behind the team’s good play down the stretch this season. He is still young enough to have some value but is going to be looking for a big contract when his current deal expires at the end of next season.
I think the smart choice is to pick Schröder, whose upside is higher than Teague’s and is currently a younger and cheaper option. He has been inconsistent at times, but he may not realize his potential playing as a backup. The Hawks could opt to deal him as well, but his smaller salary will limit the return. At any rate, this is an area of strength that the Hawks have, and I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see one of Teague or Schröder dealt this summer.
Hoops Rumors: Horford’s numbers this season are remarkably similar to what he put up in 2014/15, which is a positive omen as he heads into free agency this offseason. Given the expected salary cap surge and likely competition from other teams, should the Hawks break the bank if necessary to keep him, considering big men don’t traditionally hold up well once they enter their 30s and he turns 30 in June?
Kris Willis: I have felt for a while now that this summer will be a pivotal offseason for the Atlanta Hawks franchise. The biggest decision they have to make is what to do with Horford. I have no doubts that he is going to get a max offer, and if Atlanta wants to keep him, that is most likely what it is going to take. His value goes beyond the stats. He is still today the single most important player on the team and is the team’s anchor on the defensive end of the floor. If the Hawks don’t keep Horford, then they are going to take a sizeable step back next season, and I have argued that it would be time to clear the deck if that happened.
Still, is it smart to pay max money to a big man who will be 30 in June? Probably not, but if the team wants to continue to retool on the fly and maintain their recent success, I think that it is likely that they will give Horford whatever it takes to keep him.
Hoops Rumors: The draft-night trade for Tim Hardaway Jr. didn’t quite pay off for the Hawks this season as he was buried on the bench for much of the year. What are your thoughts on the trade, given the benefit of hindsight, and what can Atlanta expect from the swingman next season?
Kris Willis: I was intrigued with the move on draft night simply because I wanted to know what Mike Budenholzer and Wes Wilcox saw in Hardaway that the rest of us didn’t. I was very high on Bobby Portis in last year’s draft, but it was pretty obvious that the Hawks weren’t blown away by anyone.
Hardaway has had an interesting season. I thought he’d likely get multiple chances early simply because they paid such a high price to acquire him, but he opened the season on the inactive list and had to earn his way on the court. The results, particularly in the second half of the season, have been positive.
I think it is still kind of hard to say if it was the right move or not, but I believe Hardaway will have the opportunity to play a much bigger role for the team next season.
Hoops Rumors: The Hawks are one potential destination for Dwight Howard, especially if Horford departs as a free agent. Would Howard be a good fit in Atlanta, and if not, whom should the team target in the event Horford doesn’t re-sign?
Kris Willis: The Dwight Howard rumors were circulating around the trade deadline but I never bought into them very much. I think Howard would be a very risky investment due to his age and his injury history. Horford has been hurt as well, but Howard has had issues with his back and knee, and I think that raises a few more red flags.
Some in Atlanta clamor for a more traditional center, and Howard’s presence alone would help with the Hawks’ rebounding issues. However, I question the fit offensively and think the risk is too high to heavily invest in a player like Howard.
Hoops Rumors: Venturing into the purely hypothetical for a moment, if you were given the opportunity to reverse one decision (signing/draft pick/trade) the Hawks have made over the past three years, what would you change?
Kris Willis: There are a couple of things that come to mind. When Danny Ferry signed Paul Millsap and Carroll to short two-year deals, we celebrated the contracts for the value and the flexibility. However, it turned out that both players outperformed the deals to such a degree that the team couldn’t keep both due to not having their full Bird rights. I don’t know if it was possible to get either Millsap or Carroll on a longer deal but that would have made a big difference last offseason and would have likely kept a 60-win club together.
Eddie Scarito contributed to this interview.
Chinese Center Zhou Qi To Enter Draft
11:30am: Zhou remains under contract with his Chinese team for at least one more season with no NBA buyout clause, Pick tells Hoops Rumors.
10:34am: Chinese center Zhou Qi will enter this year’s draft, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Vertical. Tony Leng, a representative for the 7’2″ 20-year-old, confirmed the news to international journalist David Pick, who hears Alex Saratsis of Octagon will serve as Zhou’s NBA agent (Twitter link). Opinions are split on Zhou’s potential, with Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress pegging him the 28th-best prospect in this year’s draft while Chad Ford of ESPN.com ranks him only 68th.
Zhou averaged 15.8 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.2 blocks in 34.2 minutes per game for Xinjiang Guanghui in the Chinese Basketball Association this season. The same team featured current and former NBA players Andray Blatche, Andrew Goudelock and Bryce Cotton, and several NBA teams saw Zhou in action, Pick notes (Twitter link). He had two points, three rebounds and two blocks in just over 12 minutes of play at last year’s Nike Hoop Summit, a premiere showcase that pits international talent against top U.S. high schoolers.
No guarantee exists that Zhou will remain in the draft, as international early entrants can withdraw as late as June 13th, since they don’t have to worry about NCAA eligibility. By NBA rule, he wouldn’t become automatically eligible for the draft until 2018, the year he turns 22. However, NBA scouts have questioned Zhou’s age, with some saying he’s already 22 and others saying he’s 24, as Pick reported in February (Twitter link).
Oregon SF Dillon Brooks To Test Draft Waters
FRIDAY, 7:36am: Boucher won’t enter the draft “as of now,” Oregon coach Dana Altman told Goodman, but Brooks confirmed to the ESPN.com scribe that he’ll test the waters.
THURSDAY, 3:22pm: Oregon junior power forward Chris Boucher and sophomore small forward Dillon Brooks will enter this year’s draft but hold off on hiring agents, sources told Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Boucher is listed as a senior in some places, but Oregon has him down as a junior, so it appears the community college transfer has one year of eligibility remaining. He’s the 63rd-best prospect in Chad Ford’s ESPN.com rankings, though he’s outside the top 100 for Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress. Brooks is just No. 175 in Ford’s listing, but Givony classifies him as a 2017 prospect and has him 37th in his 2017 mock draft. Both forwards will be able to return to school as long as they don’t hire agents and withdraw by May 25th.
Boucher, a 6’10” 23-year-old, averaged 12.1 points and 7.4 rebounds in 25.8 minutes per game this year during his first season of Division I college ball. He displayed a touch of range, nailing 33.9% of his 3-pointers on three attempts per game. Brooks had almost precisely the same accuracy from 3-point range, hitting on 33.8% of his 3.7 attempts per contest, though that isn’t quite as impressive for a small forward. The 6’7″, 20-year-old Brooks compiled averages of 16.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.3 turnovers.
Both prospects came to Oregon from Canada, though Boucher is originally from Castries, St. Lucia. Neither appeared in the Recruiting Services Consensus Index top 100 as they came out of high school.
Heat Notes: Whiteside, Wright, Dragic
Hassan Whiteside‘s playoff performance may help the Heat determine how much they’re willing to pay him, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. If Whiteside contributes to a long postseason run, team president Pay Riley will be more inclined to give him a long-term contract starting at about $22MM per season. But an early exit or a poor performance might make management think twice about committing so much to the 26-year-old center, even though he led the NBA in blocks this season, tied for third in rebounding and finished third in field-goal percentage. “It’s very meaningful,” Whiteside said of the postseason. “Every day is a day I can try to leave an impression on the Heat. They really emphasize winning here. I want to make a good impression.”
There’s more news out of Miami:
- Whiteside never enjoyed the reserve role that coach Erik Spoelstra had him play for about two months, according to Michael Wallace of ESPN.com. A lineup tweak just before the playoffs made Whiteside a starter again, and Dwyane Wade was glad to see it. “Coach did it and we all support whatever decisions he makes,” Wade said. “We haven’t played with [Whiteside] since [Chris Bosh] went out, so this is our first time. It was good as we get prepared for the playoffs.”
- Dorell Wright may not get off the bench much in the playoffs, but he couldn’t be happier to be back in Miami, relays Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. The 30-year-old Wright, who played in China most of this season, officially signed with the Heat on Tuesday. Miami drafted Wright out of high school in 2004 and he spent his first six NBA seasons with the team. “It’s awesome, man, just the energy I felt as soon as I walked into the building was great,” he said. “It’s been a long time, somewhere I grew as a man, as a player, as a professional,” Wright said. “So just happy to be back. It’s been a long little journey for me.”
- Goran Dragic‘s play in the postseason may also determine his future in Miami, Winderman writes in a separate piece. Winderman speculates that the Heat may decide to move Dragic this summer and use his salary-cap room on someone else.
Eastern Notes: Grunfeld, Harris, Plumlee, Marks
Wizards GM Ernie Grunfeld was disappointed by the failure to make the playoffs but insists his team has a strong foundation for the future, according to Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post. Washington fired coach Randy Wittman shortly after the 41-41 season came to a close. “The players tell you what to do, and I thought we were very inconsistent this year,” Grunfeld said. “That’s probably the only consistent thing about us: We went up and down. And there was no sense of urgency. I don’t think we played with the type of energy on a nightly basis that you need to achieve the kind of goals that we had. We had high expectations internally and externally.” Grunfeld will lead the search for the Wizards’ next coach and says he has already heard from agents for several interested applicants.
There’s more tonight from the Eastern Conference:
- The trade that brought Tobias Harris to the Pistons emerged right before the deadline, according to Rod Beard of The Detroit News. “His name wasn’t even out there for us until two days before we did the deal,” said coach/executive Stan Van Gundy. “We were really surprised.” Harris averaged 16.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game after arriving from Orlando, helping Detroit secure its first playoff spot since 2009 and the first of Harris’ career.
- Center Miles Plumlee is looking forward to next year after the late-season surge that made him a key part of the Bucks‘ rotation, writes Charles F. Gardner of The Journal Sentinel. “I’m just really thankful for the opportunity to get out there and play,” Plumlee said. “I love the game. I love the team here. I think we’re building something really special and I hope to continue to be a part of it.” Plumlee completed his four-year rookie scale contract and will enter restricted free agency this summer.
- Sean Marks started fining players for showing up late after taking over as Nets GM, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Several players confirmed to Lewis that frequent lateness was a problem with the team.
Kings Notes: Divac, Cousins, Coaching Search
Kings GM and vice president of basketball operations Vlade Divac will lead the effort to find George Karl’s replacement as head coach, according to Sam Amick of USA Today. Sacramento fired Karl earlier today after he compiled a disappointing 33-49 record in his first full season on the job. Divac said he will talk to former Kings coach Rick Adelman to get his opinion on possible candidates, and he plans to consult with Karl as well. “It’s a blessing to work with a guy [owner Vivek Ranadive] who is saving this franchise, building the new arena [that’s set to open in October] and letting me do my job the best I can,” Divac said. “So he has trust in me, and so far I’m so happy with my owner being behind me.” Along with hiring a coach, Divac is planning an addition to the front office, rumored to be former NBA executive David Morway.
There’s more news tonight out of Sacramento:
- Divac is committed to keeping center DeMarcus Cousins despite ongoing disciplinary problems, Amick writes in the same story. Cousins clashed with Karl virtually from the time he was hired as coach, and the Kings suspended the center for a game in March, leading some to speculate that his time in Sacramento was nearing its end. “DeMarcus is our franchise player, and all heat is going to be on him,” Divac said. “Even my decision about George, [people are] all going to talk about DeMarcus. But it’s not true. He’s just one of the people we have, obviously the most valuable, and we are planning to build around him.” Cousins has two seasons and more than $32.5MM left on his current contract.
- Divac wanted to fire Karl over the All-Star break, but opposition from minority owners stopped the move, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
- Sacramento’s “radioactive” coaching situation will scare big-name contenders away, predicts Chris Mannix of The Vertical. The columnist expects the Kings to contact Tom Thibodeau, Scott Brooks and Kevin McHale, but Mannix believes all three will steer clear of Sacramento. He adds that the Kings should have fired Karl in February and replaced him with Corliss Williamson. Instead, the front office got rid of assistant coach Vance Walberg, which further sabotaged Karl’s standing with the players.
Jazz Rumors: Mack, Exum, Lindsey, Booker
Shelvin Mack became Utah’s starting point guard immediately after being acquired from Atlanta in February, but there’s no certainly no guarantee he’ll keep that role next season, writes Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. Mack helped keep the Jazz in the playoff race until the final day of the season by averaging 12.7 points and 5.3 assists per game after the trade. But if Dante Exum recovers as expected from a torn ACL in his left knee, Mack will likely head back to the bench. “It’s not something that I’ve thought that much about,” he said. “I know that Dante’s a great player and the organization has a lot invested in him. I’m ready to compete, but I have to control the things I can control. I want to put myself in the best position I can be to help the team win.” Jones expects Utah to guarantee Mack’s salary, worth more than $2.4MM, for next season. It’s non-guaranteed but becomes fully guaranteed if he doesn’t hit waivers by the end of July 7th.
There’s more news on the Jazz:
- Exum has started sprinting and is expected to be cleared for contact in June, tweets Jody Genessy of The Deseret News, but he will not be part of Utah’s summer league team. Exum will talk to Jazz officials before considering whether to represent Australia in the Summer Olympics. “I wouldn’t do that unless I’m 100% [healthy] and confident in myself,” he said. (Twitter link).
- Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey tried to deal a draft pick for veteran help before February’s trade deadline, tweets Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune. Lindsey said he accepted two trade offers, but both deals fell through. “If there’s one criticism you could make that’s fair,” he said, “is that we erred toward chemistry, continuity and continued development (Twitter link).” Lindsey would still be willing to swap draft picks for veterans, Jones relays (Twitter link).
- Trevor Booker may not be in Utah’s future plans, Jones tweets. The 28-year-old power forward, who collected $4.775MM this season in the final year of his contract, prefers to remain with the Jazz, Genessy tweets. “I would definitely love to stay,” he said. “I know it’s a business. I’m not sure it’s going to happen.”
Lakers Rumors: Bryant, Scott, Clarkson, Young
After Kobe Bryant gave the NBA an unforgettable 60-point sendoff Wednesday, the Lakers faced the first day of the post-Kobe era, writes Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. “Sometimes you cannot help but think about it,” coach Byron Scott said of his 17-65 team. “When you have the type of season that you have, changes will be made.” The changes may start with Scott, who has one year left on his contract, although Medina says the organization recognizes the difficult position he faced with trying to balance a young roster and Bryant’s retirement tour.
The Lakers will have an estimated $55MM in cap space this summer, with much of that being opened by the end of Bryant’s $25MM contract and the expiration of Roy Hibbert‘s $15.5MM deal. The only guaranteed contracts for next year belong to D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, Larry Nance Jr., Anthony Brown, Nick Young and Lou Williams. The Lakers would like to keep restricted free agent Jordan Clarkson, and Brandon Bass may be back with a $3.1MM player option. More difficult decisions surround Hibbert, Metta World Peace, Marcelo Huertas, Tarik Black, Ryan Kelly and Robert Sacre.
There’s more out of Los Angeles:
- Clarkson believes he will be a Laker again next season, Medina tweets. Clarkson made $845,059 this year, and L.A. must make a $3.2MM qualifying offer to retain the right to match competing bids through the Gilbert Arenas Provision. “I feel confident I’ll be back here,” Clarkson said in today’s exit interview. “I want to be here.”
- Two other free agents also prefer to remain Lakers, Medina relays on Twitter. “This is a great place for me and I love it here,” said Sacre, who made $981,348 this season in the final year of his contract (link). “I’d love to be a part of this process of flipping it around,” said Kelly, who earned more than $1.724MM this season. “But we’ll see (link).”
- Young may not be brought back despite having two years and more than $11MM left on his contract, but he understands the need for changes, Medina writes in a separate story. “You never know what’s gonna happen, but you know something’s got to happen,” Young said. “I know the Lakers are gonna make decisions for the Lakers. We did win 17 games after all.” L.A. expected to try to deal Young in the offseason and may seek to negotiate a buyout if trade talks are unsuccessful.