Knicks Officially Name David Fizdale Head Coach
After reaching an agreement with him last week, the Knicks have officially named David Fizdale their new head coach, confirming the hiring today in a press release. Fizdale reportedly agreed to a four-year deal with the Knicks.
The Knicks’ announcement today includes quotes from president Steve Mills, who calls Fizdale a “great fit” for New York, and from GM Scott Perry, who praises Fizdale’s “championship pedigree, resiliency, and expertise in player development.” Team owner James Dolan also provided a statement of his own on the hiring.
“I would like to congratulate and welcome David to the Knicks organization,” Dolan said. “David is a bright and creative basketball mind who is highly respected throughout the NBA. I’m confident that Steve and Scott identified the right coach to lead this team to the success our loyal fans deserve.”
A longtime assistant in Miami, Fizdale won a pair of championships with the Heat and landed his first head coaching job in 2016 when he was hired by the Grizzlies. He led Memphis to a 43-39 (.524) mark in his first year with the club, but his relationship with Marc Gasol deteriorated early in the 2017/18 campaign, and he was fired 19 games into the season.
Fizdale was one of the most coveted head coaching candidates on the market this spring, meeting with the Suns, Hawks, Hornets, and Magic before accepting the Knicks’ job. Fizdale reportedly turned down a four-year offer to become Phoenix’s head coach, opting instead to succeed Jeff Hornacek in New York.
The Knicks met with 11 total head coaching candidates before reaching an agreement with Fizdale.
Former Cavs, Warriors, and Kings head coach Keith Smart, who worked with Fizdale in Miami and Memphis, is expected to join the Knicks’ staff as an assistant.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Hoops Rumors’ 2018 NBA Award Picks: Sixth Man Of The Year
While the NBA won’t announce this year’s award winners until late in June, we’re making our picks for the year’s major awards now.
The Hoops Rumors writing team has weighed in with our choices below, but we also want to know which players, coaches, and executives you think are most deserving of the hardware this season, so jump into the comments section below to share your thoughts.
We’re keeping things going today with the award for Sixth Man of the Year. Here are our selections:
Clark Crum: Lou Williams (Clippers)
Williams won Sixth Man of the Year three seasons ago while averaging 15.5 PPG and sporting a .404/.340/.861 shooting line. If that’s any indication, then this award is Williams’ to lose this year. Williams posted a career-high 22.6 points and 5.3 assists per game while also improving his shooting numbers across the board (.435/.359/.880) from his award-winning 2014/15 season.
All in all, Williams led all bench players in scoring, was second in assists, and maintained a top-40 PER, the best of any reserve averaging over 25 MPG, while almost leading a depleted Clippers squad to the playoffs.
Dana Gauruder: Lou Williams (Clippers)
Williams came off the bench in 60 of 79 games and averaged career highs in scoring and assists. Volume had something to do with it, as he also averaged 16.9 shots, four more than he had in any previous season. But no one fills the role of “instant offense” like Williams.
Arthur Hill: Lou Williams (Clippers)
Williams did a little bit of everything this season. He even made a compelling case for why he deserves this award.
“First player to lead the team in scoring and assists off the bench,” he said in a late-season interview. “I had an opportunity to be in the All-Star talks and just for us to be competitive with the way that everything went. Honestly speaking, I had a lot to do with it.”
After the season Williams turned in, it’s hard to argue. He put up starter’s numbers coming off the bench and is an easy choice for Sixth Man of the Year.
Chris Crouse: Lou Williams (Clippers)
Eric Gordon, who has continued to play a vital role for the Rockets, and Fred VanVleet, who led arguably the league’s best second-unit, cannot go unmentioned. In reality though, they’re playing for second place. The Clippers appeared destined to fall deep into the lottery after seeing injuries pile up and shipping Blake Griffin to Detroit, but Williams wouldn’t let that happen. He carried the offensive burden night after night, averaging 22.6 points per contest, and helped Doc Rivers & Co. remain in playoff contention through the final stretch of the season. Williams believes he deserves the award — after his year of work, he’s right.
Austin Kent: Lou Williams (Clippers)
Williams gets better with age, the product of a shifting NBA landscape and teams finally playing to his strength as a volume scoring combo guard. While the 31-year-old is a head above the league’s next most productive reserve, it’s hard to be all that satisfied with his selection considering that he’s his team’s best player (sorry DeAndre) and plays starter’s minutes anyway. Can we just all agree to start limiting this award to players who play fewer than 30 minutes a night from now on?
Luke Adams: Lou Williams (Clippers)
In another season, Eric Gordon would’ve had a strong case for this award. He averaged 18.0 PPG for the 65-win Rockets, pouring in 3.2 three-pointers per game and providing stability in the backcourt while James Harden and Chris Paul dealt with injuries. He also played solid defense all season long, which can’t necessarily be said for Williams. But Williams’ offensive output – and his overall importance to the Clippers – makes him the clear-cut favorite for the this award. Williams’ case for Sixth Man is similar to Victor Oladipo‘s for Most Improved — there are other candidates whose seasons should be recognized, but one candidate is far above the field.
Who is your pick for Sixth Man of the Year? Share your choices and your thoughts in the comment section below!
Previously:
Still to come:
- Rookie of the Year
- Defensive Player of the Year
- Most Valuable Player
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bucks Line Up Coaching Interviews For This Week
The Bucks have a busy week of head coaching interviews ahead of them, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that the team will meet with Steve Clifford today after sitting down with Ettore Messina on Saturday.
In addition to today’s meeting with Clifford, the Bucks also have interviews lined up this week with Mike Budenholzer, Monty Williams, Becky Hammon, James Borrego, and David Blatt, per Wojnarowski. All of those interviewees had been previously named as potential candidates for the Milwaukee job, with Budenholzer and Williams viewed as possible favorites.
Assuming all those interviews take place this week as planned, the Bucks’ list of completed meetings would be up to at least seven. A recent report indicated that interim coach Joe Prunty would also get to interview for the permanent job, though it’s not clear if that meeting has already taken place or if he’ll sit down with Bucks management later in the process.
Wojnarowski said last week that the Bucks may interview up to about 10 candidates for their head coaching position, so it’s possible that one or two other contenders could join the fray. Jim Cleamons reportedly spoke informally to the club about the job, making him one candidate for a more formal interview.
Pistons Part Ways With Stan Van Gundy
The Pistons have decided to move on from head coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy, a source tells Vincent Ellis of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). The team will immediately initiate a search for a new head coach and a new head of basketball ops, Ellis adds (Twitter link).
A report last week hinted at this move, as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski indicated at the time that Pistons owner Tom Gores wanted to bring back Van Gundy as the team’s head coach, but with changes to the front office. Van Gundy was said to be resisting that change to his basketball operations position, and it seems the two sides couldn’t find common ground on a compromise. Gores and the Pistons have confirmed the move in a press release.
“We have decided that this change is necessary to take our basketball organization to the next level,” Gores said in a statement. “This was a very difficult decision and we did not come to it lightly. I am grateful to Stan for everything he’s done for the Pistons and for the City of Detroit. He rebuilt the culture of our basketball team, re-instilled a winning attitude and work ethic, and took us to the playoffs two years ago. He went all-in from day one to positively impact this franchise and this community. But over the past two seasons our team has not progressed, and we decided that a change is necessary to regain our momentum.”
Hired by the Pistons in 2014, Van Gundy had a 152-176 (.463) regular season record during his four years with the club. The club only earned one postseason berth during that stretch, and was swept out of the first round during that lone playoff appearance in 2016.
Van Gundy’s job security had been a source of speculation for much of the 2017/18 campaign, with his contract set to expire in 2019. After posting a disappointing 37-45 record in 2016/17, the Pistons only improved marginally this season, finishing at 39-43 and missing the postseason for a second consecutive year.
At season’s end, Van Gundy and some Pistons players expressed confidence that the club is capable of taking a step forward next year if it can get healthy seasons from Reggie Jackson, Blake Griffin, and Andre Drummond, but it appears another coach – and head of basketball operations – will ultimately determine whether that’s the case.
According to Wojnarowski (via Twitter), the Pistons will conduct separate searches for a new head coach and head of basketball operations, as those positions will no longer be shared by one individual. Detroit is the third team to go in that direction within the last year or so — in 2017, Clippers head coach Doc Rivers and Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer had their president of basketball operations titles removed.
Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter) that Brent Barry is expected to receive strong consideration for a role in Detroit’s revamped front office. As ESPN’s Zach Lowe notes (via Twitter), Barry was an Arn Tellem client when he was a player and Tellem was an agent — Tellem now holds a top position on the business operations side of the Pistons’ organization, and will have a significant say in the team’s search for a new coach and head of basketball ops, tweets Vincent Goodwill of NBC Sports Chicago.
It’s not clear yet how far the Pistons’ changes will extend beyond Van Gundy — GM Jeff Bower reportedly met with Gores last week, but it remains to be seen whether or not he’ll be back.
The Pistons will become the fifth NBA team actively searching for a new head coach, as we detailed earlier today.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Checking In On NBA Head Coaching Searches
It has been nearly four weeks since the NBA regular season ended, and while a few head coaching situations have been resolved since then, several more remain unsettled. With so many candidates being linked to so many separate jobs, it’s time to check in on this spring’s coaching searches to see where they stand.
Let’s dive in…
Completed searches:
Memphis Grizzlies
- Named interim head coach J.B. Bickerstaff the permanent head coach.
- The Grizzlies’ search wasn’t much of a search at all. Rather than bringing in outside candidates, the team doubled down on Bickerstaff, having been impressed with his developmental work, if not his record (15-48).
New York Knicks
- Hiring David Fizdale to replace Jeff Hornacek.
- An extensive search resulted in the hiring of Fizdale, who was perhaps the most coveted candidate on the market this spring — the Suns reportedly made Fizdale an offer for their job, and he spoke to multiple other teams. The former Grizzlies coach will be officially introduced as Hornacek’s replacement this week.
Phoenix Suns
- Hiring Igor Kokoskov to replace interim head coach Jay Triano.
- While the Suns reportedly offered the job to Fizdale before deciding on Kokoskov, they sound pleased with how their search turned out. An assistant in Utah, Kokoskov is finishing up his playoff run with the Jazz. His deal with the Suns figures to be made official once Utah is eliminated.
Ongoing searches:
Atlanta Hawks
- While Sixers assistant Lloyd Pierce appeared to be emerging as the frontrunner for the Hawks’ job over the weekend, a Sunday evening report suggested three more assistants – Nate Tibbetts (Blazers), Stephen Silas (Hornets), and Jay Larranaga (Celtics) – are also in the mix. Those appear to be Atlanta’s finalists, though Jarron Collins and Darvin Ham have also interviewed.
Charlotte Hornets
- Ettore Messina, David Vanterpool, Ime Udoka, Jim Boylen, Nick Nurse, and Jerry Stackhouse have reportedly talked to the Hornets about their head coaching job. However, Celtics assistant Jay Larranaga and Spurs assistant James Borrego are viewed as the current frontrunners. Charlotte is conducting second interviews with both Larranaga and Borrego, with owner Michael Jordan present at those meetings.
Detroit Pistons
- The Pistons’ search just got underway today, as the team parted ways with Stan Van Gundy. They’re on the lookout for a new head of basketball operations too, so they may address that position before hiring a new coach.
Milwaukee Bucks
- A playoff team, the Bucks got a late start on their head coaching search, but they’re making up for lost time, reportedly lining up interviews with Ettore Messina, Steve Clifford, David Blatt, Becky Hammon, James Borrego, and more. Two former NBA head coaches, Mike Budenholzer and Monty Williams, are said to be among the favorites for the Milwaukee job.
Orlando Magic
- The Magic indicated at season’s end that they’d be in no rush to hire a new head coach, and they’ve made good on that promise, with very few reports surfacing on their candidates. They reportedly received permission to interview Blazers assistant David Vanterpool and Spurs assistant Ime Udoka, and have also been linked to Nick Nurse and Jerry Stackhouse of the Raptors. No clear frontrunner has emerged yet though.
To follow updates on the head coaching searches beyond this snapshot, be sure to check out our tracker.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Trade Rumors App For iOS/Android
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2018 Free Agents Who Have Boosted Their Value In Postseason
While a player’s regular season résumé generally plays a larger role in dictating what sort of contract he receives as a free agent, a strong postseason can increase both the floor and the ceiling of that contract.
Two years ago, for instance, Bismack Biyombo entered free agency well positioned for a raise after a solid season in which he posted 5.5 PPG and 8.0 RPG as the Raptors’ backup center. In a summer that saw Timofey Mozgov and Ian Mahinmi land $64MM contracts, Biyombo would’ve done well regardless of how he played in the postseason, but it was his play in those three series that cemented his place as a coveted free agent.
He appeared in 20 games for the Raptors during those playoffs, starting 10 games due to a Jonas Valanciunas injury. Biyombo’s 6.2 PPG and 9.4 RPG in those 20 contests would’ve both been career highs, and he was at the center of several key plays and moments during Toronto’s postseason run. His playoff showing ultimately helped him secure a $68MM deal from the Magic.
Free agent spending in 2018 isn’t expected to be as extravagant as it was in 2016, but there are several players across the NBA who are building cases for bigger paydays as a result of their postseason play. Here are seven of them:
Clint Capela, C (Rockets): Capela has been the breakout star of this year’s playoffs so far, as more and more observers realize he’s a legit third member of the Rockets’ Big Three alongside James Harden and Chris Paul. After leading the NBA in field-goal percentage and posting a double-double in the regular season, Capela has been even better in the postseason, increasing his averages in PPG (15.4), RPG (13.0), and BPG (2.6). So far against the Jazz, he has outplayed Rudy Gobert, arguably the league’s best defensive big man.- Rajon Rondo, PG (Pelicans): He may not love the “Playoff Rondo” nickname, but Rondo has looked like a different player in the postseason. Besides posting an NBA-best 12.9 APG (including 14.8 APG in Pelicans wins), Rondo is also scoring more (10.8 PPG), grabbing more rebounds (8.3 RPG), and shooting better (.412 3PT%) than he did in the regular season. A year ago, Rondo’s impressive postseason was cut short by an injury and didn’t do much for his free agent stock, but it should earn him a raise this time around.
- Derrick Rose, PG (Timberwolves): When Rose was traded by the Cavs and then cut by the Jazz in February, it was unclear whether he’d even land another NBA job this season. The Timberwolves’ decision to sign him was second-guessed, and Rose didn’t do much during his nine regular season games to justify that decision. However, his postseason performance was impressive, and should quiet any speculation that he needs to call it a career. His .700 3PT% in those five playoff games was an aberration, but Rose looked revitalized against the Rockets.
- Jerami Grant, F (Thunder): While Grant’s modest playoff numbers don’t jump off the page, there’s one stat that does: his on/off-court ratings. In their six playoff games, the Thunder had a +8.9 net rating when Grant was playing, and a staggering -17.1 rating when he was on the bench. Grant will be an unrestricted free agent, but that first-round series was exhibit A for why OKC would almost certainly rather have him back than Carmelo Anthony and his $28M player option.
- Kevon Looney, F/C (Warriors): Coming into the 2017/18 season, Looney had logged fewer than 500 total NBA minutes, so it was no surprise that the Warriors declined the fourth-year option on his rookie contract for 2018/19. The team likely regrets that decision now. After developing into a rotation piece during the season, Looney has taken on a larger role in the playoffs, and has delivered with 5.1 PPG and 4.6 RPG in 21.0 minutes per contest. There probably won’t be a bidding war for his services this summer, but he’ll be on a few more teams’ radars due to his newfound role for the defending champs.
- Aron Baynes, C (Celtics): Coming into the 2018 playoffs, Baynes had made four three-point shots in his six-year NBA career. In 10 postseason games this year, he has gone 6-for-11 from long range, making at least one three-pointer in every game vs. the Sixers. Baynes isn’t about to start hoisting up five or six threes per game next season, but if his outside shot is falling enough to be a threat, it can have a huge impact on his team’s spacing, pulling the opposing center out from the paint. That makes him a much more intriguing piece in the middle.
- Ian Clark, G (Pelicans): Clark was solid but unspectacular off the bench for the Pelicans during the regular season. After shooting 36.4% on three-pointers coming into the 2017/18 campaign, Clark made just 31.8% for New Orleans, which was a worrying trend. His stroke has returned in the playoffs — his 36.0% conversion rate is back near his previous career mark, and his 3.1 attempts per game would be a career high.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Southwest Notes: Gay, Powell, Mavs, Capela, Rondo
Spurs forward Rudy Gay has a player option decision to make this offseason, but he tells Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype that he’s not thinking about that decision yet, using this time instead to watch the NBA postseason and prepare for a vacation. Still, Gay doesn’t sound like a player eager to leave San Antonio after his first year with the Spurs.
“It’s like no other organization in the league,” Gay said of the Spurs. “They are definitely family-oriented – there’s a family atmosphere and family is everything. On the court, it’s very different. It’s the epitome of team basketball. Everyone is playing for each other, and it’s always been that way.”
Gay’s option salary ($8.8MM) is worth about the same amount as the mid-level exception will be worth in 2018/19. So, while he could probably increase his total guarantee by declining his Spurs option and signing a multiyear deal, it’s not clear if he’d be able to exceed that 2018/19 salary on a new contract.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- The Mavericks‘ decision to sign Dwight Powell to a four-year, $37MM+ contract in the summer of 2016 looked a year ago like a misstep, but Powell enjoyed a career year for the team in 2017/18, as Dwain Price of Mavs.com observes. “That contract has been more than fulfilled, and it’s not just the player that you see evolving before your very eyes,” Mavs president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said. “It’s the leadership in that locker room, and he is a very, very special young man that has taken the next step up.”
- While the Mavericks know they can’t “skip steps” and rush their rebuilding process, they also hope that rebuild isn’t still in its “early stages,” says head coach Rick Carlisle (link via Price at Mavs.com). According to Carlisle, Dallas will be looking to integrate its 2018 lottery pick into the rotation during his rookie year, as the team did with Dennis Smith Jr. this past season.
- In his latest mailbag for ESPN.com, Kevin Pelton takes a closer look at Clint Capela‘s continued improvement, exploring whether the Rockets center has a chance to develop into an All-Star. Re-signing Capela as a restricted free agent will be a top priority for Houston this offseason.
- Nick Friedell of ESPN.com explores the ways Rajon Rondo has showed veteran leadership for the Pelicans this season, not just on the court but off it as well. Rondo will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
2018 NBA Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Detroit Pistons
A midseason blockbuster for Blake Griffin didn’t lead to immediate results for the Pistons, but the team will look to the Pelicans as a reason for hope going forward — New Orleans’ trade-deadline acquisition of DeMarcus Cousins didn’t really pay dividends until year two. With a nucleus of Griffin, Andre Drummond, and Reggie Jackson, there’s some reason for optimism in Detroit heading into 2018/19 — as long as those stars can stay healthy.
Here’s where things currently stand for the Pistons financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2018:
Guaranteed Salary
- Blake Griffin ($32,088,932)
- Andre Drummond ($25,434,263)
- Reggie Jackson ($17,043,478)
- Jon Leuer ($10,002,681)
- Langston Galloway ($7,000,000)
- Ish Smith ($6,000,000)
- Josh Smith ($5,331,729) — Waived via stretch provision
- Stanley Johnson ($3,940,402)
- Luke Kennard ($3,275,280)
- Henry Ellenson ($1,857,480)
- Total: $111,974,245
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Reggie Bullock ($2,500,000)1
- Eric Moreland ($1,826,300)2
- Dwight Buycks ($1,600,520)3
- Total: $5,926,820
Restricted Free Agents
- None
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
- Anthony Tolliver ($3,948,000): Non-Bird rights
- James Ennis ($3,936,933): Early Bird rights
- Jameer Nelson ($1,499,698): Non-Bird rights
- Total: $9,384,631
Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000
Projected Cap Room: None
- With or without Griffin’s mammoth salary on their cap, the Pistons wouldn’t have had any space this summer, since the contracts for Tobias Harris and Boban Marjanovic run through 2018/19. With Griffin on the books though, Detroit projects to be way over the cap, with a total team salary starting at $114,468,178 — that accounts for the Pistons’ nine guaranteed contracts, plus cap charges for three empty roster spots.
Footnotes:
- Bullock’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 15.
- Moreland’s salary becomes guaranteed for $750K after July 8. There are additional partial guarantees of $250K apiece after September 1 and after the first game of the regular season.
- Buycks’ salary becomes fully guaranteed after September 1.
Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Atlantic Notes: Fizdale, Knicks, Stevens, Ujiri
In David Fizdale, the Knicks landed a coach who was coveted by multiple teams with job openings this spring, per Marc Berman of The New York Post. We’ve previously heard that Fizdale turned down an offer from the Suns and met with Hawks ownership. A source tells Berman that Fizdale was also a “frontrunner” for the Hornets and Magic positions.
So why did Fizdale opt for the Knicks’ job? Former Nets guard Elliot Perry – a current Grizzlies broadcaster and Fizdale confidant – tells Berman that he believes the former Grizzlies coach wants the challenge of being on a big stage in New York.
“That’s the one thing I mentioned to him,” Perry said. “You’re never off stage in New York as [the Knicks’] head coach. You’re not always on the stage in Memphis. He wanted the challenge. He thinks there’s talent there. He thought it was a good fit.”
Let’s round up a few more items from out of the Atlantic, including another note on Fizdale…
- In a piece for Newsday, Al Iannazzone examines why the Knicks felt that Fizdale was the right pick for their job, with one source downplaying the head coach’s tension with Marc Gasol in Memphis. “He gets along great with players,” that source told Iannazzone. “He’s a good developmental guy and is good at working with the players. He comes from Miami, where they put an emphasis on that. He’s still unproven as far as X’s and O’s. But he’s good with players.”
- The Celtics are missing a pair of difference-making players on the court, with Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving on the shelf, but the team also has a difference maker on the sidelines in Brad Stevens, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston. “He knows each player like the back of his hand, so he’s going to put you in the right position, he’s going to put you in the right spot, to be great,” Terry Rozier said of his head coach.
- Raptors president Masai Ujiri received a $25K fine from the NBA for walking on the court during halftime of Game 3 to “verbally confront” the game’s referees, the league announced today in a press release. Raptors head coach Dwane Casey expressed his displeasure with the officiating throughout the game, and Ujiri joined the act as the second quarter ended.