John Beilein To Remain At Michigan
University of Michigan head coach John Beilein was believed to be a finalist for the Pistons‘ coaching job, but no longer appears to be in the running for the position. In a tweet today, Beilein announced that he intends to remain with the Wolverines.
“I love the University of Michigan and I am excited about coaching our Men’s Basketball Team next season and in the years to come!” Beilein wrote. “Let’s go hang some more banners at ‘THE GREATEST UNIVERSITY IN THE WORLD’ #GoBlue”
Beilein was one of three candidates said to be receiving serious consideration from the Pistons as they seek a replacement for Stan Van Gundy. Spurs assistant Ime Udoka and former Raptors head coach Dwane Casey are the only finalists in the mix, with Casey believed to be the frontrunner. Casey reportedly met with Pistons ownership on Tuesday, while Udoka is doing so today.
Michigan’s head coach since 2007, Beilein led his team to appearances in title games in both 2013 and 2018, and will remain with the program going forward. He had met with Pistons owner Tom Gores last month to discuss the coaching vacancy in Detroit.
Robert Williams Working Out For Bulls, Hornets, Knicks
Potential lottery pick Robert Williams will kick off his pre-draft workout schedule this week as he visits the Bulls on Thursday, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). According to Wojnarowski, Williams will follow up that Chicago session with auditions for the Hornets and Knicks.
The No. 13 prospect on Jonathan Givony’s big board at ESPN.com, Williams will receive “close inspection” from teams in the 7-13 range in the lottery, Wojnarowski notes. The Bulls (No. 7), Knicks (No. 9), and Hornets (No. 11) all fall into that group, though it remains to be seen whether the Texas A&M center will also work out for other teams in that range, including the Cavaliers (No. 8), Sixers (No. 10), and Clippers (Nos. 12-13).
In his sophomore season with the Aggies, Williams often played out of position and recorded just 25.6 minutes per contest, but still nearly averaged a double-double (10.4 PPG, 9.2 RPG). He was also an efficient scorer (.632 FG%) who had a major impact on the defensive end (2.6 BPG).
Givony has Williams coming off the board at No. 14 in his most recent mock draft, calling the big man “a rim-running, pick-and-roll-finishing, shot-blocking, offensive rebounder” and likening him to Rockets center Clint Capela.
Latest On DeMarcus Cousins’ Free Agency
Once viewed as a lock for a long-term, maximum-salary contract, DeMarcus Cousins has seen his free agent value complicated by his recovery from an Achilles tear. Appearing on ESPN on Tuesday, Adrian Wojnarowski suggested that the Pelicans will likely look to re-sign Cousins on a shorter-term deal in order to evaluate how he looks following that Achilles injury (Twitter link via Sagar Trika).
Wojnarowski’s report echoes one we heard from his ESPN colleague Zach Lowe in April. At the time, Lowe wrote that New Orleans had internally discussed the possibility of offering Cousins a two- or three-year contract worth less than the max. While Lowe didn’t believe that sort of offer would go over well with Cousins’ camp, he noted that the club has a good amount of leverage, given the lack of teams around the NBA with significant cap room.
Although the Pelicans probably won’t offer Cousins a lucrative four- or five-year contract, they do want him back — Wojnarowski noted on Tuesday that as long as Anthony Davis is in New Orleans, he wants Cousins there with him (Twitter link via Trika).
Still, the Pelicans won’t be the only team in the mix. According to Wojnarowski (Twitter link via Trika), the Mavericks are another club to watch, though Dallas’ approach to draft night could impact the club’s interest level in Cousins. If the Mavs land a big man like Mohamed Bamba on June 21, it would reduce their need for a veteran center.
There may not be many other teams with substantial cap room who will make a run at Cousins, but Wojnarowski warns not to discount the possibility of a sign-and-trade deal involving the free-agent-to-be (Twitter link via Trika). Acquiring a reliable wing in lieu of re-signing Cousins might appeal to the Pelicans. One hypothetical scenario that has been discussed by multiple reporters would see Cousins head to Washington in a deal involving Otto Porter, though there would be a few roadblocks in the way of such a swap.
Draft Workouts: Simons, Allen, Grizzlies, Knicks
IMG Academy guard Anfernee Simons, projected as a possible first-round pick, has a busy workout schedule leading up to the 2018 NBA draft. Having already auditioned for the Lakers, Trail Blazers, Suns, and Bulls, Simons will reportedly work out for the Magic as well, as we heard on Monday. During Simons’ Tuesday workout with the Lakers, he added several more teams to that list, confirming that he’ll also get a look from the Jazz, Knicks, Sixers, and Bucks, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com relays.
That workout with the Jazz will happen on Thursday, league sources tell Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link).
While Simons has a wide range of potential landing spots, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has the youngster coming off the board at No. 38 to the Sixers in his latest mock draft.
Here are a few more updates and notes on pre-draft prospect workouts:
- Duke’s Grayson Allen will be among the prospects visiting the Timberwolves for a workout in the coming days, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News.
- Jaylen Barford (Arkansas), Rodney Bullock (Providence), Jevon Carter (West Virginia), Trevon Duval (Duke), Jairus Lyles (UMBC), and Duncan Robinson (Michigan) are participating in a group workout with the Grizzlies on Wednesday, the team announced in a press release.
- Xavier’s Kerem Kanter, the younger brother of Enes Kanter, will work out for the Knicks on Wednesday, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. However, another player who had been scheduled to audition for New York today – Texas A&M’s Tyler Davis – will no longer do so due to an injury, tweets Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com.
- The Nuggets have made an adjustment to their previously-reported Wednesday workout, replacing Khyri Thomas (Creighton) with Bryant Crawford (Wake Forest), per a team release.
Sixers Ownership Met To Discuss Colangelo’s Future
The Sixers‘ ownership group convened in New York on Tuesday evening, talking for several hours about whether head of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo should be fired based on the findings in an investigation into several burner Twitter accounts, league sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. According to Wojnarowski, the 76ers could reach a decision on Wednesday.
As Wojnarowski has previously reported, the investigation into those Twitter accounts, which published tweets critical of Sixers players and revealed sensitive information, has increasingly focused on Colangelo’s wife Barbara.
Both Colangelo and his wife were interviewed by investigators for several hours on Sunday and Monday. While those interviews took place separately, Sixers ownership is struggling to separate Colangelo from his wife when it comes to the tweets in question, if she did in fact post them, Wojnarowski writes.
With Colangelo’s future up in the air, the Sixers are looking ahead to next month’s free agent period with the intent of putting Brett Brown “front and center” in presentations to top players, according to Wojnarowski, who adds that the hiring of Monty Williams as Brown’s top assistant could have an impact on discussions with free agents too. Both Brown and Williams have strong reputations with players around the NBA.
The 76ers could also rely on assistant GMs Marc Eversley and Ned Cohen to help navigate the coming offseason if they decide to move on from Colangelo, Woj observes.
Is Rodney Hood The Answer For Cavs In 2018 NBA Finals?
Rodney Hood hasn’t played meaningful minutes since early in the postseason, but with the Cavaliers backed against the wall, it appears they’ll make a lineup change, allowing the 25-year-old to see some additional court time.
“We’re going to give Hood a chance,” Tyronn Lue said Tuesday (via Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com). “He’ll get a shot, and see how he does. He’s been working, staying ready. So we’ll see.”
The Cavs acquired Hood mid-season in a three-team trade. In the deal:
- The Cavs acquired Hood (from Jazz) and George Hill (from Kings) along with the draft rights to Arturas Gudaitis (from Kings).
- The Jazz acquired Jae Crowder (from Cavs), Derrick Rose (from Cavs), and the right to swap 2024 second-round picks with the Cavs.
- Kings acquired Iman Shumpert (from Cavs), Joe Johnson (from Jazz), the Heat’s 2020 second-round pick (from Cavs), cash ($2.1MM from Cavs; $1.1MM from Jazz), and the draft rights to Dimitrios Agravanis (from Cavs).
Prior to the trade, Hood was playing well, making 38.9% of his three-pointers on nearly seven attempts per contest in Utah. He was sporting a player efficiency rating of 15.1 and appeared to be on his way to landing a solid second contract in the league, as he’ll be a restricted free agent this summer.
Once he arrived in his Cleveland, his performance took a hit. In 21 regular season games with the Cavs, he made just 35.2% of his shots from behind the arc and sported a player efficiency rating of 12.7. Among Cleveland’s five-man lineups that played at least 30 minutes together this season, none featuring Hood had a positive rating, per NBA.com.
Part of the issue could be fit. Hood has played 64% of his minutes at the three in Cleveland; He spent 63% of his time at the two spot in Utah, per Basketball-Reference’s positional data.
Hood has proven he can’t elevate the team while playing heavy minutes next to the Cavs’ rotation of guards with defensive liabilities, but perhaps Lue plays him alongside one guard, planting him next to LeBron James and a pair of frontcourt players. Maybe that’s enough of an adjustment to make the NBA Finals a competitive series. Or maybe there is no way for the Cavs to come close to beating the Warriors four times over the next five contests.
How many games will the Cavs win in this series? If Hood receives playing time, will it make a difference? What do the next few games mean for the future of Cleveland and Hood’s pending free agency?
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. We look forward to hearing what you have to say!
Latest On Paul George’s Free Agency
Paul George has one season remaining on his contract, but he’s expected to opt out of his deal this summer and become a free agent. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski discussed George’s future on the network’s NBA Draft Special (h/t Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman), explaining how the Thunder are now in a better position to keep George than they were last offseason.
“Oklahoma City’s done a great job of selling him on a future there, and he liked playing with Russell Westbrook and Steven Adams and Billy Donovan,” Wojnarowski said.
While OKC has an opportunity to keep George, the Lakers remain a serious threat. George and LeBron James will at least discuss the possibility of teaming up in Los Angeles prior to free agency, per Woj.
The Rockets will be aggressive in their pursuit of George. While Houston isn’t expected to have salary cap space, we saw what GM Daryl Morey is capable of in last summer’s Chris Paul deal. Morey and the Rockets will search for a way to get George on the roster should the small forward have interest in joining the club.
Wojnarowski also mentions that the Sixers would be a good fit for George. Philadelphia has slightly over $67.4MM in guaranteed salary on the books with the cap projected to come in at $101MM.
Hawks Notes: No. 3, Bagley, Bamba, Allen
The Hawks own the No. 3 overall pick in the upcoming draft and figuring out who they’ll select is no easy feat. Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com has the team selecting Jaren Jackson Jr. out of Michigan State. The big man, who won’t turn 19 until mid-September, has a high ceiling and would be an ideal partner in the frontcourt alongside John Collins, Givony contends.
Both Jackson and Marvin Bagley III, a projected top-3 pick, will work out for the team next week, according to Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link).
[RELATED: Five Key Offseason Questions: Atlanta Hawks]
Luka Doncic won’t work out for the Hawks, as he’s not holding any individual workouts for teams ahead of the draft. Heading into lottery night, he appeared to be a lock to be selected in the top-2. However, the 19-year-old will likely be available when Atlanta picks based on the Kings’ reported disinterest in the Slovenian wing. It’s been reported that the Hawks are likely to pass on him as well.
Whoever is selected with the No. 3 pick is projected to make a starting salary of approximately $6.5MM. While we wait to see what the Hawks do with their selection, check out some notes from Atlanta:
- Mohamed Bamba is tentatively scheduled to work out for the Hawks on June 14, Cunningham tweets. Grayson Allen and Trae Young are also expected to workout for the team next week.
- The Hawks will have several prospects come into town on Wednesday, according to a team press release. Alize Johnson (Missouri State), George King (Colorado), Billy Preston (Bosnia), Omari Spellman (Villanova), Jared Terrell (Rhode Island) and Thomas Welsh (UCLA) will all visit Atlanta.
- Atlanta has hired Nate Babcock to be a special assistant on coach Lloyd Pierce’s staff, Cunningham reports (via Twitter). The Hawks’ coaching staff is now complete.
Heat Notes: LeBron, T. Johnson, Draft Picks, Leonard
The Heat are sometimes listed as a potential free agency destination for LeBron James, but team officials don’t believe there’s any chance he will return to Miami, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Among the entities that could see James back on South Beach is the WestGate Las Vegas sports book, which recently gave the Heat the fifth-best odds of winning next year’s title because of that possibility.
While Miami wouldn’t turn James away, there are too many obstacles to make the move realistic, Jackson notes. The Heat enter this summer with no cap space, so they would have to clear more than $55MM in salary while taking none in return to create the room to offer James a max contract. Cleveland could theoretically agree to a trade, but it’s hard to picture Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert working out a deal to ship James back to Miami.
Here are a few more Heat tidbits, courtesy of Jackson:
- Tyler Johnson‘s contract will escalate to $19.2MM in each of the next two seasons, and the Heat are probably stuck with that deal. Jackson states that there is little optimism in the organization about moving Johnson, whose contract includes a 15% trade kicker that would be worth an extra $2.9MM. Miami matched a back-loaded offer sheet from the Nets in 2016 that was structured to make Johnson much more expensive in the final two years.
- Also holding a trade kicker is Kelly Olynyk, who has a 5% bonus that would pay him $1.1MM if he’s traded. That money would be split over the next two seasons.
- The Heat, who don’t have a pick in either round of this year’s draft, are trying to acquire a second-rounder, according to a Western Conference executive whose team has spoken to Miami about a potential deal. This year’s first-round choice was sent to the Suns in the Goran Dragic trade, and the second-rounder was shipped to Memphis in a 2016 deal to clear cap room.
- Miami continues to monitor the Kawhi Leonard situation in San Antonio in hopes of pouncing if the Spurs decide a trade is necessary.
Latest On Raptors’ Coaching Search
The Raptors plan to trim their group of coaching candidates down to three finalists in the next seven to 10 days, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.
Spurs assistant Ettore Messina is expected to be on the list, along with longtime Raptors assistant Nick Nurse, according to Grange. He expects the other finalist to be Sarunas Jasikevicius, who briefly played in the NBA and has become one of Europe’s top coaching propects.
Jasikevicius, who serves as head coach of EuroLeague team Zalgiris Kaunas in Lithuania, interviewed with Raptors president Masai Ujiri over the weekend at the NBA Global Camp in Italy.
Spurs assistant Ime Udoka, who is among the finalists for the Pistons’ head coaching vacancy, may also get consideration from the Raptors, Grange adds.
Toronto hopes to hire a new coach by the end of the month, and Nurse should be considered the front-runner, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports, who adds that several outside candidates are still being considered. Nurse is viewed highly by the front office after revamping the Raptors’ offense heading into this season.
The organization may talk to some more candidates before a final decision is made, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.