And-Ones: Africa, Coach/Executives, Scott, G League
Improved coaching is the next step for Africa to produce more NBA players, writes Shaun Powell of NBA.com. The league held its annual Africa Game on Saturday, which brought several NBA coaches to the continent for a week of teaching. Powell notes that most of the players who represented Team Africa in the contest learned their skills while growing up in other places.
“The coaches here are getting involved in coaching clinics, teaching techniques and fundamentals like never before,” said Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry, who was part of the event. “Some of the high school coaches are very interested in learning more and understanding how to teach. I think it’s all progressing. The league saw the issue at hand and addressed it and I’ll be shocked if this is not the place where the next wave of NBA players come from.”
There’s more news from around the basketball world:
- Commissioner Adam Silver has privately voiced his concerns to some owners and team officials over the idea of coaches serving as executives, relays Adrian Wojnarowksi of ESPN. The Clippers became the latest team to abandon that approach on Friday when they made Doc Rivers a full-time coach and promoted Lawrence Frank to president of basketball operations. Gregg Popovich, Stan Van Gundy and Tom Thibodeau are the only remaining coaches who serve both roles.
- Byron Scott tells TMZ that he’s through with coaching and has no desire to return to the NBA. Scott, 56, was fired by the Lakers at the end of the 2015/16 season after two years with the team. He compiled a 38–126 record for a .232 winning percentage that is the worst of any coach in franchise history. He also frequently clashed with the team’s younger players. Scott served as head coach of the Nets, Hornets and Cavaliers before coming to L.A.
- The G League is hoping to eliminate a buyout loophole by requiring anyone who gets waived to remain in the player pool for 14 days before being released from their contract, writes Adam Johnson of 2 Ways & 10 Days. In the past, overseas teams have been able to avoid $40K or $50K buyouts as teams would release players as a gesture of goodwill when they received offers. Johnson says the new rule amounts to a no-compete clause, which is illegal in some states.
Weekly Mailbag: 7/31/17 – 8/6/17
We have an opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap or the NBA draft? Drop us a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com.
I am a Warriors fan. Is there really a chance the W’s go after Paul George next summer? Good lord! — Phillip Malan, via Twitter
That became a rumor this week, and although Golden State’s cap situation makes it very unlikely, it’s not impossible. Kevin Durant will have a player option worth $26.5MM for 2018/19, which means the Warriors will be just a little over the salary cap when free agency begins next July. If they decide to offload a significant contract — possibly Klay Thompson, who will be entering the final year of his deal at nearly $19MM — they could theoretically sign George, although the offer would be well below the maximum. Nothing would shake up the NBA like the Warriors landing another All-Star, but the chances of it happening are extremely small.
What is one thing the Knicks could do to change the direction of the franchise? –SKPlayBall, via Twitter
They probably did it already when they fired Phil Jackson as team president. Jackson’s devotion to the triangle offense and his public feud with Carmelo Anthony were dragging down the franchise faster than anything else. There was a sense throughout the league that the Knicks were being poorly run, with few free agents willing to give them serious consideration. Going forward, the best thing the franchise can do to turn itself around is stick with its stated plan of building around young players. Even tanking for a season or two wouldn’t be a bad idea. Drafting a young star like Michael Porter next year would get New York fans excited about the team again.
I’m confused when I see someone like Nicolas Brussino claimed off waivers and not see other players who I think of as better who don’t. Jordan Mickey and Demetrius Jackson both were blocked from any kind of advancement in Boston due to its depth, yet they were highly touted prospects just two years ago. Why did no one claim them? — Holger P. Stolzenberg
There’s a lot that factors into waiver claims, including contract terms and team needs. The Hawks were looking for help on the wing and decided to take a chance on Brussino, who is only 24 and has extensive international experience. Brussino will make about $1.3MM this year and a nonguaranteed $1.544MM in 2018/19, which offers a small risk and makes him a bargain if he can contribute. No one was willing to take the same chance on Mickey, who remains unsigned, or Jackson, who later signed a two-way contract with the Rockets. Most players who wind up on waivers don’t get claimed, as teams would rather negotiate with them as free agents instead of taking on their current contracts.
Southeast Notes: Richardson, Johnson, Wall, G League
The Heat should try to get Josh Richardson to sign an extension as soon as possible, contends Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. After two NBA seasons, the former second-round pick is eligible for an extension up to four years and $42MM that would take effect with the 2018/19 season. Even at the full price, Richardson’s starting salary that year will be $9.4MM, which could be a bargain for someone who has been a contributor when he’s been healthy.
The deadline for an extension doesn’t come until June 30th, and Winderman thinks Richardson might be wise to wait. If there’s no agreement, he will become a restricted free agent in July, with the Heat having the right to match any offer. The team will also have full Bird Rights, which would eliminate the possibility of a backloaded contract like the one the Nets offered Tyler Johnson. Winderman also notes that Miami will send two of its next four first-rounders to Phoenix in the Goran Dragic trade, so it can’t afford to lose a young talent like Richardson.
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- With their current cap status, the Heat have little reason to try to move Johnson’s contract before it balloons in 2018/19, Winderman adds in a question-and-answer column. Johnson will make close to $5.9MM for the upcoming season, then nearly $19.25MM in each of the next two years. It’s a provision that Brooklyn threw into its offer sheet in an attempt to discourage the Heat from matching, and it was eliminated in the new collective-bargaining agreement. Winderman states that if Miami is successful with its current mix of players, the team will continue to operate over the cap and Johnson’s escalation won’t really matter.
- With a supermax contract in hand, Wizards star John Wall has outlined several goals for the rest of his career, relays Chase Hughes of CSNMidAtlantic. At a press conference Friday to officially announce the new deal, Wall said he wants to win a championship in Washington and become the fifth player in franchise history to have his number retired. “We definitely have a lot of unfinished business,” Wall told reporters. “I want to bring a championship here, so we’re going to keep striving to get that. I’m not going to stop until we get there. That’s why I wanted to come back to this city.”
- The Hawks are adopting a radical approach as they take over the G League franchise in Erie, Pa., writes Chris Reichert of 2 Ways and 10 Days. Instead of finding people with G League experience to run the team, they appointed Malik Rose as general manager and last week hired longtime NBA assistant Josh Longstaff as the head coach. Because Orlando pulled its G-League team out of Erie and took its returning player rights, the Bayhawks will be part of the expansion draft August 23rd.
Isaiah Thomas Expects To Be Ready For Camp
Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas is confident that he will be fully healed from a hip injury in time for training camp, writes Stephen Hewitt of The Boston Herald.
Thomas aggravated a hip strain in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals and was forced to sit out the rest of the playoffs. He chose to let the injury heal without surgery and recently began workouts again after more than two months of rest.
“The hip is great,” Thomas said Saturday as he conducted a youth basketball clinic in Boston. “It’s a real slow rehab process, but it’s getting better and that’s what it’s all about.”
Thomas’ health is important not only to the Celtics’ title chances, but also to his financial future. He is headed toward free agency next summer and will be looking to cash in after making less than $6.3MM for the upcoming season. He has been open in the media about his desire for a maximum contract.
“I deserve it,” he said. “I put the work in, and you can put me down against any guard in the NBA. … My numbers are up there with the best players in the world, and my team is winning. So, I mean, you have to reward that. I’m just going to keep working though. My time is gonna come. I have a lot of faith in God, and I just have to keep working to get better.”
“I don’t really want to comment on that, I don’t know what’s going on over there,” Thomas said. “I know just as much as everybody else knows. If [Irving] leaves, he leaves. If he doesn’t, then we know how good of a team they are, and we know how good of a player he is.”
Nets Notes: Offseason Trades, Anderson, Crabbe
The Nets’ moves this offseason may form the foundation of the team for several years to come, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Brooklyn has taken advantage of its cap space to pick up assets while absorbing salary, adding D’Angelo Russell, Allen Crabbe and DeMarre Carroll, among others.
GM Sean Marks has been assessing the team since the flurry of deals and indicated that he may be done with major moves. “We’re continuously going to be trying to have our finger on the pulse of the league and see what happens,’’ he said. “I think we’ll take a little bit of a deep breath and just see what shakes out here. But I don’t know. Who knows what’s going to happen throughout the year? I think if you’d asked us a month ago, we couldn’t have predicted all the things that may have happened, not just here but around the league. It’s something that we’ve just got to stay fluid and be ready to react.”
The Nets could use more size in the frontcourt, where newly acquired Timofey Mozgov and rookie Jarrett Allen are the only players taller than 6’8″. They still have interest in former Celtic and Raptor Jared Sullinger, who earned all-tournament honors at The Basketball Tournament this week.
There’s more tonight out of Brooklyn:
- The Nets are no longer in contention to sign Alan Anderson, Lewis adds in the same story. Anderson’s agent, Chris Luchey, confirms that he talked to Brooklyn’s front office shortly after free agency began, but after all the Nets’ moves, they are no longer a possible destination. Lewis adds that the Knicks are also out of the running.
- Crabbe will provide shooting help, but the team is counting on him to do much more, Lewis relays in a separate story. Crabbe was the NBA’s second best 3-point shooter last year, connecting at a .444 rate beyond the arc, while the Nets ranked fifth from the bottom in that category. “We sat with Allen [and said]: ‘Look, we think we can help your game. We think we can take it to another level. Let’s not just be a shooter,’” Marks said. “And he’s excited about that. He’s got a chip on his shoulder, and he wants to take his game to another level, all-around facets. It’s not just shooting. It’s defense. It’s everything.”
- Brooklyn needs to find another frontcourt player who can shoot the 3-ball, writes Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily. The Nets have about $5.1MM in cap space they could use to find a shooter who fits coach Kenny Atkinson’s system better than the players they have now.
Community Shootaround: Coaches/Executives
The Clippers have become the latest organization to decide that coaching and running the front office is too much for one man.
The team announced Friday that Lawrence Frank has assumed the role of president of basketball operations, leaving Doc Rivers as a full-time coach. Rivers has held both positions since coming to L.A. in 2013.
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer announced the move, explaining that the requirements of each job are too numerous for them to be combined effectively.
“I’ve owned the team for three years now, and I really better understand what an owner’s responsibility is — and it turns out that running a franchise and coaching are two enormous and different jobs,” Ballmer said. “The notion that one person can fairly focus on them and give them all the attention they need isn’t the case.”
Rivers’ input will still be sought on personnel matters, Ballmer said, adding that he believes “healthy discussion and debate” is good for the franchise.
The number of combined coach/executives is dwindling, with the Hawks making a similar move with Mike Budenholzer in May. Travis Schlenk was hired as the GM in Atlanta and is overseeing personnel decisions while Budenholzer concentrates on coaching.
There are now just three NBA coaches who also hold the title of president of basketball operations: Gregg Popovich in San Antonio, Stan Van Gundy in Detroit and Tom Thibodeau in Minnesota. Popovich, with help from ace GM R.C. Buford, has built a perennial contender with the Spurs. Van Gundy has seen moderate success with the Pistons, while Thibodeau rebuilt the Timberwolves this summer after posting a 31-51 record in his first season at the helm.
That brings us to tonight’s question: Are teams wise to separate front office responsibilities from coaching duties, or do you believe there are people who can handle both jobs? Please leave your comments below. We look forward to what you have to say.
Family Issues Push Julyan Stone Toward Hornets
The poor health of his father is motivating Julyan Stone to try to get out of his Italian contract and sign with the Hornets, according to Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer.
The 28-year-old point guard has a two-year offer from Charlotte that he would like to accept, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando reported Friday. Stone’s primary motivation is the condition of his father, who is in the United States in a coronary care unit with severe lung, heart and kidney ailments.
Stone has approached his Reyer Venezia club, based in Venice, about getting out of his current deal, but hasn’t made any progress. He posted a message on his Instagram account Friday explaining his father’s dire condition and claiming that Reyer Venezia officials won’t return his repeated messages. Stone would like to return to the NBA to be closer to his father and be in a better position to pay for his care.
Signing Stone would also benefit the Hornets, who are looking for an inexpensive backup to Kemba Walker and Michael Carter-Williams. Charlotte is hovering near the luxury tax line with about $119MM committed in salary for next season, so any roster additions will have to be made at minimal cost.
The Hornets waived Briante Weber in late July before his $1.5MM contract became guaranteed, and they recently held a workout for prospective point guards.
The 6’6″ Stone has previous NBA experience, playing 26 games for the Nuggets over two seasons and 21 with the Raptors in 2013/14.
Knicks May Try To Re-Sign Marshall Plumlee
The Knicks may be interested in bringing back center Marshall Plumlee, posts Ian Begley on ESPN Now.
Several teams have contacted Plumlee, according to Begley, who doesn’t identify any of the others. New York waived Plumlee last month to help create enough cap room to sign former Hawks shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr.
Plumlee is expected to choose his next team soon, Begley adds. At the time he was waived, Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said he would like the chance to re-sign the 7-footer, who Begley notes “impressed coaches with his development and work ethic” during his time with the organization.
Undrafted out of Duke in 2016, Plumlee signed with the Knicks in July of that year. He played most of last season with New York’s Westchester G League affiliate, but also appeared in 21 games with the Knicks, averaging 1.9 points and 2.4 rebounds in about 8 minutes per night.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 7/29/17 – 8/5/17
Every week, the Hoops Rumors writing team compiles original content to complement our news feed. Here are some of our favorite segments and features from the past seven days:
- Luke Adams checked in on unsigned 2017 draft picks.
- Adams also delved into how teams are using 2017/18 mid-level exceptions.
- Which NBA players have trade kickers in 2017/18?
- And which NBA players can veto trades in 2017/18?
- Who is the longest-tenured player on each NBA team?
- Hoops Rumors unveiled a new series this week, “Five Available Free Agents”:
- Arthur Hill answered your Kyrie Irving questions in his weekly Sunday mailbag. Submit your questions via Twitter (@HoopsRumors) or by sending us an email (hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com).
- Check out our free Trade Rumors app available for IOS and Android.
- Here are the questions we asked you in our Community Shootaround discussions and polls this week:
- What chance do the Pelicans stand of making the playoffs?
- When will Irving and Carmelo Anthony be traded?
- What should the Timberwolves do with Andrew Wiggins?
- Which Atlantic division team has had the best offseason?
- Which Northwest division team has had the best offseason?
- How should the 76ers handle a potential Joel Embiid contract extension?
- Which rookie point guard will have the best season?
Poll: Best Rookie Point Guard Season
The 2017 NBA Draft was loaded with talented point guards, including first overall pick Markelle Fultz, No. 2 selection Lonzo Ball, and fellow lottery picks De’Aaron Fox, Frank Ntilikina, and Dennis Smith Jr.
Fultz showed flashes of brilliance in the NBA Summer League amid overall inconsistent play before he ultimately injured his ankle in his Las Vegas debut. The 76ers guard was promptly shut down for the remainder of Summer League. This season, the rookie figures to be a regular fixture in the Philadelphia backcourt.
After dominating his freshman season at UCLA, Ball won Las Vegas Summer League MVP honors, racking up assists (9.3 APG) and steals (2.5 SPG), as well as points and rebounds. Although it is not clear whether Ball will start for the Lakers right out of the gate, he will certainly be the beneficiary of a hearty amount of playing time.
Fox is also expected to see his fair share of action this season, but averaged just 21.3 minutes per game in four Las Vegas Summer League games. Like Fultz and Ball, Fox exhibited tantalizing athleticism. The Kentucky product averaged a solid 11.8 points per contest and 3.0 assists. Fox’s 2.3 SPG were extremely impressive.
The Knicks drafted Ntilikina eighth overall because of his speed and agility. Last season, the point guard averaged just 15.5 minutes per game for Strasbourg in France but displayed tremendous promise and improved noticeably as a shooter. With D. Rose out of town, it appears as if the keys to Madison Square Garden are about to be Frank’s.
In six games in Las Vegas, Smith averaged 17.3 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 4.2 APG, shooting 45.7% from the floor and electrifying with the occasional powerful dunk. The Mavericks prospect also tallied 2.2 SPG.
This brings us to today’s poll: Which of these point guards will have the best rookie season in 2017/18?
Which rookie point guard will have the best season?
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Dennis Smith Jr. 34% (1,035)
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Lonzo Ball 28% (864)
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Markelle Fultz 20% (599)
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De'Aaron Fox 14% (410)
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Frank Ntilikina 4% (125)
Total votes: 3,033