Central Notes: Cavs, Pacers, Pistons, Bucks
Since the Cavaliers fell to Golden State earlier this week in the NBA Finals, there has been a ton of speculation about how the Cavs should respond this summer, and the idea of acquiring Pacers forward Paul George in a trade involving Kevin Love has been a popular one.
There are no reports at this point suggesting that either team is considering such a deal, but Ben Golliver of SI.com makes the case that a Love/George would make a lot of sense for both the Cavaliers and Pacers. Golliver argues that Cleveland would get a badly-needed perimeter defender to combat Kevin Durant, while Indiana would land an impact player in his own right and could avoid embarking on a lengthy rebuilding process.
While Golliver’s piece is an interesting one, I’m less inclined to believe that the move would be in the Pacers’ best interests. The club isn’t yet at a point where it needs to trade George to avoid losing him for nothing. Even if and when that time comes, Indiana may prefer to move him for a package that includes picks and/or young players, rather than for a pricey veteran like Love.
Here’s more from around the Central division:
- Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders is the latest to try his hand at determining the next steps for the Cavaliers as they enter the offseason.
- Jarrett Allen (Texas) and Justin Patton (Creighton) headlined a group workout for the Pistons today, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (Twitter link). Landen Lucas (Kansas), John Gillon (Syracuse), and Jonathan Williams (Toledo) also participated.
- The Bucks‘ Thursday pre-draft workout features Ismael Bako (Belgium), Tyler Roberson (Syracuse), Ben Moore (SMU), Tony Farmer (Lee College), Matt Thomas (Iowa State), and Ty Sabin (Ripon), the team announced on its website.
- Point guard appears to be a position of interest for the Pacers as they prepare for the draft, writes Wheat Hotchkiss of Pacers.com. With Jeff Teague and Aaron Brooks both eligible for free agency, Indiana may look to add a point guard in the draft to address its depth at the position.
Five Key Offseason Questions: Houston Rockets
A year ago, the Rockets were a directionless team that barely snuck into the playoffs. They had no coach after dispatching both Kevin McHale and J.B. Bickerstaff, and there was disharmony in the locker room stemming from a cold war between James Harden and Dwight Howard.
The problems cleared up over the span of a few weeks last summer, and Houston emerged from the wreckage with a team that posted the league’s third-best record. Mike D’Antoni was hired as head coach in early June and brought a fast-paced, spread-the-floor philosophy that the Rockets embraced. Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon signed as free agents, adding two weapons that were perfect for D’Antoni’s system. Howard left for Atlanta, ending the behind-the-scenes dissension.
But even with those problems solved, there are questions that remain. Here are five:
1. Does this really work?
D’Antoni has a history of excellent regular-season teams that had short playoff runs. In four straight seasons in Phoenix, he coached clubs with 62, 54, 61 and 55 wins, but never advanced past the conference finals. So even as the Rockets strung together a 55-27 campaign with a record number of 3-point attempts and makes, there were plenty of skeptics waiting for the playoff failure.
It came against San Antonio, a familiar nemesis for D’Antoni teams. The Rockets’ three-point marksmen misfired badly in the elimination game as the Spurs embarrassed them by 39 points in Houston, despite playing without Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker. A second-round ouster raises the age-old question of whether a team that so heavily emphasizes offense over defense can ever be a serious threat to the NBA title.
2. How do the Rockets get better?
The Rockets shipped this year’s first-round draft pick to the Lakers in a deadline deal for Lou Williams, and their second-rounder belongs to the Knicks from a 2015 trade. They own Denver’s second-round pick at No. 43 and Portland’s at No. 45, but it’s hard to find someone who can contribute right away at that point in the draft.
Free agency options will also be limited, as the Rockets lack real cap space. The good news is nine of their top 10 players are under contract next season, with Harden secured for the next two years and Anderson and Gordon for the next three. However, any significant personnel moves this summer will probably have to come through trades. GM Daryl Morey pledged this week to “keep improving our roster,” saying he doesn’t view the champion Warriors as unbeatable.
New York Notes: Rose, Workouts, Porzingis
Although Derrick Rose‘s first season with the Knicks can’t be viewed as a true success, given the team’s record, the veteran point guard doesn’t necessarily want it to be his only season in New York. Agent B.J. Armstrong tells Yaron Weitzman of Bleacher Report that his client is interested in re-signing with the Knicks in free agency this summer.
“Derrick loves New York and wants to be there,” Armstrong said. “We’ve expressed that to them and been very consistent about it. Whether it happens is on them; all we can do is be clear.”
As we wait to see if Rose’s interest in the Knicks is reciprocated, let’s round up a few more notes on the two New York teams…
- In addition to featuring Armstrong’s comments on Rose, Weitzman’s Bleacher Report piece on the Knicks (linked above) explores possible directions the club could go with its roster this offseason, and is worth checking out in full.
- Nevada’s Cameron Oliver worked out for the Nets (Wednesday) and Knicks (Thursday) this week, league sources tell Ian Begley of ESPN.com. The 6’8″ power forward comes off the board at No. 50 in DraftExpress’ latest mock draft.
- Dallas Moore, J.J. Frazier, Malcolm Hill, Isaiah Hicks, and Moses Kingsley are among the other prospects to work out for the Nets this week, per NetsDaily (Twitter link).
- As Marc Berman of The New York Post details, Kristaps Porzingis will be the subject of an E-60 documentary that will air on ESPN later this month. Berman adds that the documentary will address Porzingis’ “cold war” with the Knicks, with the last scene having been filmed in April after the big man skipped his exit meeting with the club.
Draft Rumors: Jackson, Kennard, Isaac, Smith Jr.
Although foot issues have prevented former Duke guard Frank Jackson from working out for teams in recent weeks, he has been visiting and meeting with several clubs, per Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. Deveney reports that the Hawks, Knicks, and Jazz have all brought in Jackson.
Elsewhere in his piece, Deveney provides updates on OG Anunoby and Luke Kennard, writing that the Lakers are holding out hope that Anunoby will fall to them at No. 28, though he’s receiving interest from plenty of teams picking earlier. As for Kennard, one scout who spoke to Deveney wasn’t overly bullish on Kennard’s ability to sneak into the top 10.
“I understand that everyone wants shooters,” the scout said of Kennard. “No one questions that the kid can shoot. But I can’t see him becoming a good defender. You just hope that he develops into a neutral defender, that he does not hurt you. He might go in the lottery in this draft because of the way he can shoot, but in most drafts he is more down in the late teens.”
Here are a few more draft-related rumors and notes from around the league:
- On his Scoop podcast this week, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN said that he’s been told Jonathan Isaac is currently only working out for teams picking in the top four. According to Wolfson, Isaac’s camp could have a change of heart, but for now he has no interest in working out for the Timberwolves or any other team outside of the top four (link via Dan Feldman of NBC Sports).
- ESPN’s Chad Ford (Insider-only link) has ranked this year’s draft prospects by tier, with Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball as the only tier-one players. Tier two, reserved for potential All-Stars, includes eight more prospects, which Ford suggests is abnormally high.
- Point guard prospect Dennis Smith Jr. will have a Pro Day today, according to Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders, who tweets that the Timberwolves, Knicks, Mavericks, Hornets, Pistons, and Heat will be in attendance.
- Thomas Bryant (Indiana), Caleb Swanigan (Purdue), Antonius Cleveland (SE Missouri St.), Charles Cooke (Dayton), Kobi Simmons (Arizona), and Justin Robinson (Monmouth) worked out for the Trail Blazers earlier this week, according to the team.
Hawks Unlikely To Offer Paul Millsap Full Max
Hawks principal owner Tony Ressler has suggested that he’s willing to do whatever it takes to lock up free-agent-to-be Paul Millsap this summer, but acknowledged after adding Travis Schlenk to Atlanta’s front office that the new GM will have final say on basketball decisions. And, as Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes, Schlenk doesn’t sound like he’s ready to put a full maximum salary contract offer on the table for Millsap.
“We are going to make Paul our best offer,” Schlenk said, per Vivlamore. “Will he have better offers? I don’t know. Do we want to keep Paul? Sure. I said last week, if you are building a team with all the things I’ve said, Paul checks all those boxes. He’s a hard-worker. He’s a good guy. He’s high-character. Skilled. He does all that stuff. We’d like to have him. The reality is, he might get better offers than we can make him.”
[RELATED: Hawks hire Travis Schlenk as GM]
While Millsap could get the same starting salary from any NBA team, the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement allows the Hawks to offer the veteran big man more years and higher raises than any of the other 29 teams. As we detailed last month, based on a $101MM salary cap, the Hawks could go up to five years and $205MM+ for Millsap. Rival teams could offer $152MM+ over four years.
However, Schlenk’s suggestion that Millsap “might get better offers than we can make him” suggests that the Hawks won’t simply max him out. That approach to Millsap’s free agency probably makes sense. The former second-round pick is already 32 years old, and while he’s earned spots on four straight All-Star teams, he’s not exactly a perennial MVP candidate — having him on the books at age 36 for $46MM+ wouldn’t be ideal.
With Millsap’s Bird rights in hand, the Hawks have some flexibility in negotiations with Millsap, particularly in that fifth year. Last summer, for instance, the Grizzlies signed Mike Conley to a five-year contract that is only partially guaranteed in year five but is still worth more than what any other suitor could have offered. The Hawks could find a similar compromise, though it sounds as if another team willing to offer the full four-year max for Millsap could have a decent chance of luring him away from Atlanta.
Schlenk has met with Millsap’s agent twice since being hired by the Hawks, according to Vivlamore.
Jerry West To Accept Position With Clippers
Special consultant Jerry West will leave the Warriors for a similar job with the Clippers, reports Jack McCallum of Sports Illustrated.
The Hall of Famer spent six years with Golden State, helping the organization build a team that won two titles in the past three years. He also has front office experience with the Lakers and Grizzlies and was twice named Executive of the Year.
“I’ve told myself time and time again that I would get out of the business when I felt I had nothing to contribute,” West told McCallum. “But I just don’t feel that’s the case. I don’t feel like I’m ready to stop. Sometimes I feel ageless.”
West, who recently turned 79, confirmed over the weekend that he received an offer to join the Clippers in an advisory role. Warriors owner Joe Lacob and GM Bob Myers were hoping to convince him to stay with Golden State, but West opted to make the move. Sources tell McCallum that the relationship between West and the Warriors’ ownership group had grown somewhat strained, though West declined to comment on that, calling the team’s owners “top-notch.”
The veteran executive returns to Los Angeles, where he was a legendary player then later built two dominant teams — the Showtime Lakers of the 1980s and the Shaquille O’Neal–Kobe Bryant version at the turn of the century. According to reports (Twitter links), West had interest in returning to the Lakers this summer, but that interest wasn’t reciprocated.
Draft Notes: Josh Jackson, Fultz, Smith Jr., Heat
Kansas forward Josh Jackson paid a visit to Kings today, but didn’t go through a workout, tweets Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee. Jackson is expected to be one of the first players selected next week and probably won’t be around for Sacramento’s pick at No. 5. There have been rumors that the Kings would like to move up, but a report today said they aren’t willing to give the Sixers the fifth and 10th picks to get No. 3.
There’s more from a full day of draft workouts:
- Washington’s Markelle Fultz, projected as the top pick, has decided not to visit the Kings, according to Voisin (Twitter link).
- Paolo Uggetti of The Ringer examines which top three team might have given Jackson a guarantee. A report Monday by John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 suggested that either the Celtics, Lakers or Sixers has promised to take Jackson if he’s still on the board when their pick comes up. Jackson canceled a workout this week with Boston and agreed to a second session in L.A.
- Along with a second workout for Lonzo Ball, the Lakers will audition six other players on Friday, tweets Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. Their names have not been released.
- North Carolina State’s Dennis Smith Jr. may be in danger of slipping on draft night, tweets Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. However, some members of Philadelphia’s front office are intrigued by Smith and the team may trade down to get him, posts Ian Begley on ESPN Now.
- UCLA’s T.J. Leaf will visit Miami on Thursday to work out for the Heat, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. The Heat see him as a stretch four who can hit 3-pointers and rebound and will give him serious consideration with their No. 14 pick, Jackson adds.
- Duke’s Harry Giles canceled a workout with the Heat that was scheduled for Thursday, Jackson relays in the same story.
- Kentucky’s Bam Adebayo will be part of a group workout for the Nuggets on Friday, tweets Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders.
- The Nuggets will host six players Thursday, the team announced in an email. Participating will be Florida’s Canyon Barry, Air Force’s Hayden Graham, Miami’s Kamari Murphy, Baylor’s Johnathan Motley, Arizona’s Kobi Simmons and Gonzaga’s Nigel Williams-Goss.
- Wisconsin’s Bronson Koenig, who has upcoming sessions with the Lakers and Warriors, is impressing teams with his shooting, Scotto relays (Twitter link).
- Creighton’s Cole Huff has workouts set for the Celtics on Thursday and the Lakers on Monday, tweets Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.
- North Carolina’s Justin Jackson has workouts lined up with the Knicks, Hornets, Bucks and Trail Blazers, according to Begley.
- Jackson will be part of a Pacers workout Thursday, along with Clemson’s Jaron Blossomgame, Houston’s Damyean Dotson, Marquette’s Luke Fischer, Vanderbilt’s Luke Kornet and Louisville’s Donovan Mitchell, the team announced on its website.
- Northeastern’s T.J. Williams has an upcoming workout with the Knicks and has already auditioned for the Jazz, Lakers, Clippers, Timberwolves and Raptors, Begley writes in a separate piece.
- Iowa’s Peter Jok, IUPUI’s Darell Combs, Syracuse’s Andrew White III, Connecticut’s Amida Brimah, Siena’s Marquis Wright and Lehigh’s Tim Kempton Jr. will work out Thursday for the Wizards, the team announced on its official blog.
- The Hawks hosted six players for a workout earlier today, according to the team. Participants were Kempton, California’s Jabari Bird, Loyola-Chicago’s Milton Doyle, Gonzaga’s Przemek Karnowski, Middle Tennessee State’s Reggie Upshaw and Colorado’s Derrick White.
- Six players worked out today for the Jazz, the team tweeted. On hand were Indiana’s James Blackmon, Dayton’s Charles Cooke, Weber State’s Jeremy Senglin, Eastern Washington’s Jake Wiley, Alabama’s Jimmie Taylor and Texas A&M CC’s Rashawn Thomas.
Warriors Notes: Curry, Durant, Livingston, Kerr
Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant are willing to be flexible with their contracts to give the Warriors the best shot at repeating, relays Anthony Slater of The San Jose Mercury News. Curry is eligible for a five-year mega max deal this summer worth about $205MM. His contract would start at about $35.5MM next season and climb to roughly $46.7MM in the final year. “As we go into talks and this whole process — which is obviously new for me — I will approach it as getting the most as I can as an individual, as a player, something I’ve been working for for a very long time,” Curry said. “In the context of keeping the team together, if there are decisions that need to be made, we’ll talk about [a slightly smaller deal] for sure.”
Durant would be eligible for the same contract, but because he just signed with the team last summer, the Warriors don’t have his Bird rights. They would have to renounce Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston to open enough cap space for Durant. An alternative is a 20% raise from this season, which would bump Durant’s salary to $31.8MM and permit Golden State to go over the cap to keep Iguodala and Livingston. “I feel as though I am going to be back here — no question,” Durant said. “We’ll all figure something out, work something out. I want to be here.”
There’s more news out of Golden State:
- Past dynasties have demonstrated that not everyone can receive fair market value, writes Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders. The toughest decisions this summer will involve Iguodala, Zaza Pachulia and David West, three unrestricted veteran free agents who may be looking at their last chance for big-money contracts.
- Another of Golden State’s 10 free agents is Livingston, who also prefers to stay with the Warriors, according to Chris Haynes of ESPN.com. Livingston could be looking at a substantial raise after making a combined $16.5MM in his three years with Golden State. “I think we’ll all love to keep this group together and see what we’re able to accomplish together,” Livingston said. “But we’ll see what happens when that time comes. There’s obviously a domino effect. Guys have decisions to make, but it’s about enjoying this journey, this moment that we’re on right now.”
- Steve Kerr discusses his unusual role in the title run and his future in coaching in a podcast with Zach Lowe of ESPN.com.
Dwyane Wade Still Pondering Opt-Out Decision
With a June 27th deadline looming, Dwyane Wade hasn’t decided whether to opt out of a $23.8MM salary for next season, according to Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.
The Bulls reportedly expect Wade to opt in and spend at least one more season in Chicago, but sources tell Goodwill that Wade hasn’t made up his mind and plans to spend more time on vacation while considering his next move.
Wade had a meeting with Bulls management last week to discuss the team’s plans for the future. Goodwill cites sources close to Wade who said the organization intends to “stay the course” for another season, with no significant personnel moves.
That would mean holding on to Jimmy Butler, who has been the subject of trade speculation for more than a year. Presumably, it would also mean keeping Rajon Rondo, who only has a $3M guarantee through June 30th on his $13.397MM salary for next season.
Wade has said his friendship with Butler played a part in his choice of the Bulls last summer after 13 years in Miami. Chicago management also met with Butler last week to discuss his role in the team’s future.
Family considerations will also affect Wade’s decision, Goodwill notes. Wade’s oldest son will turn 16 during the 2017/18 season, and Wade has said he doesn’t want his children to be moved from city to city as his career winds down.
Clippers Make Progress Toward New Arena
7:29pm: Inglewood City Council will hold a vote Thursday on the exclusive negotiating agreement, writes Nathan Fenno of The Los Angeles Times. The Clippers are hoping to build an 18,000- to 20,000-seat arena on a 22-acre site across from a new stadium that will serve as home to the Rams and Chargers. Inglewood will receive $1.5MM from the Clippers, and the ENA will cover 36 months, enough time for “lengthy environmental reviews.”
Under the agreement, the new facility will be “state of the art,” Fenno tweets. Ballmer plans to cover the entire cost himself (Twitter link).
6:03pm: The Clippers are nearing an exclusive negotiating agreement with Inglewood, Calif., for a new arena, according to Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter links). A formal announcement is expected Thursday.
The team currently plays in Staples Center, which it shares with the Lakers and the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings. The Clippers have a lease at the building that runs through 2024, but owner Steve Ballmer has been outspoken about the team leaving before then and getting a facility of its own.
The Clippers, who have been at Staples Center since it opened in 1999, reportedly get a smaller share of revenues and have less influence over scheduling than the building’s other tenants.
Representatives of the Clippers and the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams have reportedly talked about creating a “sports and entertainment district” in Inglewood along with the L.A. Chargers, who are moving from San Diego. Tentative plans call for that project to be ready by 2019.