Grizzlies Fire J.B. Bickerstaff, Re-Assign Chris Wallace
3:44pm: The Grizzlies have sent out a press release officially confirming Bickerstaff’s firing and the front office changes detailed below.
“In order to put our team on the path to sustainable success, it was necessary to change our approach to basketball operations,” Pera said in a statement. “I look forward to a re-energized front office and fresh approach to Memphis Grizzlies basketball under new leadership, while retaining the identity and values that have distinguished our team.
“I want to thank Chris and John for their long-term service and dedication to the Memphis Grizzlies and for their considerable contributions to our past successes, and look forward to their contributions to our future ones. I also want to thank J.B. for his leadership and commitment to our organization in his time as our coach.”
3:01pm: The Grizzlies are shaking up their front office and coaching staff, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that the team has dismissed head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and re-assigned head of basketball operations Chris Wallace to the scouting department. VP John Hollinger will also move to a senior advisory role, Wojnarowski adds.
The Grizzlies will promote Jason Wexler to team president and will have him oversee both the basketball operations and business operations for the franchise, reports Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Wexler had previously been the club’s president of business operations.
According to Wojnarowski, Zach Kleiman – previously an assistant GM – will be elevated to executive VP of basketball operations and will take the lead on day-to-day basketball matters. Memphis will launch a search for a new head coach and will also pursue some more experienced basketball executives to join the front office, sources tell Woj (Twitter link).
The news comes just hours after Wallace addressed local media in his end-of-season press conference, telling reporters that he wasn’t particularly concerned about his job security and that Bickerstaff was expected to return for next season.
It’s not a particularly good look for the Grizzlies, who probably shouldn’t have let Wallace move forward with his end-of-season presser and discuss his plans for Memphis’ future if they intended to do this later in the day. David Cobb of The Memphis Commercial Appeal calls it “blatantly disrespectful” (Twitter link), while longtime Grizzlies beat writer Ronald Tillery asserts that team owner Robert Pera “doesn’t care about” Memphis’ fans or players (Twitter link).
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter), Bickerstaff conducted exit meetings with Grizzlies players today, discussing expectations for the summer and ways to improve. Bickerstaff’s own exit meeting with ownership happened afterward.
Bickerstaff, who took over as the Grizzlies’ interim head coach during the 2017/18 season when David Fizdale was fired, led the team to an underwhelming 15-48 record to finish the season. However, Memphis opted to make Bickerstaff the permanent head coach last spring, citing his connection with – and his ability to develop – the team’s players. After posting a 33-49 record in 2018/19, the Grizzlies will now once again be on the lookout for a new head coach.
As for Wallace, this isn’t the first time he has been demoted by Grizzlies ownership. Initially hired as the team’s general manager in 2007, he was displaced in 2012 when Jason Levien assumed control of basketball operations. Wallace regained his front office power in 2014, with mixed results since then.
Prior to selecting Jaren Jackson with the fourth overall pick in the 2018 draft, Wallace’s first-round selection since ’14 were Jordan Adams, Jarell Martin, and Wade Baldwin. His most notable free agent signing over the last few years was Chandler Parsons, who received a four-year, maximum-salary contract from the Grizzlies and has limited to just 95 games since then due to injuries.
While Wallace’s front office has made a few savvy moves, including netting a first-round pick for Jeff Green, his missteps – such as flipping that first-rounder to Boston for Deyonta Davis and Rade Zagorac – likely outnumbered his successes. Since winning 55 games in 2014/15, Memphis has gone 140-188 in four seasons and hasn’t won a playoff series.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Grizzlies Notes: Bickerstaff, Conley, FAs, Anderson
J.B. Bickerstaff‘s first full season with the Grizzlies may have been a little underwhelming in terms of the team’s win-loss record (33-49), but given all the injury problems that plagued the team throughout the year, it seems the team is happy with his performance. General manager Chris Wallace said as much today, telling reporters that Memphis plans to bring Bickerstaff back for next season, according to David Cobb of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.
“J.B. and his staff did a great job keeping everybody together and improving both individually and team-wise down the stretch,” Wallace said.
As for his own future, Wallace said he and owner Robert Pera have yet to sit down for their end-of-season meeting. However, he didn’t sound particularly concerned about his job security, per Cobb.
“That’s between me and Robert,” Wallace said. “I don’t want to go into that publicly. I’m very comfortable here and comfortable working with him and really not worried about my situation at all.”
[UPDATE: The Grizzlies have fired Bickerstaff and re-assigned Wallace]
Here’s more on the Grizzlies:
- According to Cobb, Wallace said today that he expects the Grizzlies to continue listening to trade offers for point guard Mike Conley this offseason, though that doesn’t mean Conley will be moved. “Teams are going to continue to knock on our door leading up to the draft and into the summer,” Wallace said. “We value Mike. We’d love to keep moving forward with him. We’ll see where it goes.”
- The Grizzlies would like to retain the players they acquired in exchange for Marc Gasol at the trade deadline, including Jonas Valanciunas and Delon Wright, Wallace said today (via Cobb). Valanciunas has a player option for 2019/20; Wright will be eligible for restricted free agency. According to Wallace, Valanciunas is “a true Memphis Grizzly” who has loved playing in Memphis, while Wright “fit in very well both on and off the floor.”
- Forward Kyle Anderson will undergo thoracic outlet decompression surgery next week on his right shoulder, the Grizzlies announced in a press release. He’s expected to make a full recovery and should be ready to go for the 2019/20 season, according to the team.
- Joakim Noah will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and there’s no guarantee he’ll stick with the Grizzlies, but he appreciates that the club was willing to take a chance on him following his disastrous stint in New York. “Memphis was the only team that showed me any consideration,” Noah told ESPN’s Zach Lowe. Asked if he expects to remain on an NBA roster next season, Noah replied, “F— yeah.”
Five Teams Finish 2018/19 Season In Tax Territory
With the exception of bonuses that could still be earned – or missed – in the postseason, 2018/19 NBA team salaries are now frozen for luxury-tax purposes, ESPN’s Bobby Marks observes. That means that five teams will finish the ’18/19 season as taxpayers.
Here are those five teams, along with approximations of their projected luxury tax bills, per Marks:
- Oklahoma City Thunder: $61.6MM
- Golden State Warriors: $51.5MM
- Toronto Raptors: $21.4MM
- Portland Trail Blazers: $15.1MM
- Boston Celtics: $3.9MM
While the Warriors‘ payroll is actually slightly higher than Oklahoma City’s, the Thunder met the repeater tax criteria, since they also paid the tax in 2015, 2016, and 2018. As a result, they’re subject to more punitive penalties, as we outline in our glossary entry on the luxury tax. The standard penalties for taxpaying teams start at $1.50 per dollar and increase from there; the repeater penalties start at $2.50 per dollar.
Golden State will meet the repeater criteria next season if they’re in the tax again, since they’ll have paid the tax in 2016, 2018, and 2019. Teams qualify as repeat offenders when they’ve finished in the tax in three of the previous four seasons.
The figures listed above are subject to change. For instance, Kyle Lowry has three separate $500K bonuses that he could still receive, depending on how far the Raptors advance in the playoffs. If he earns any of those, they’d be added to Toronto’s payroll and would in turn increase the club’s tax bill.
Since half of the luxury tax penalty money is reallocated to the teams that finished out of the tax, those non-tax clubs are in line for payouts of approximately $3.1MM, per Marks.
The Heat, Wizards, and Rockets made in-season transactions to get out of tax territory and will now receive $3.1MM from the tax pool. Other clubs, such as the Grizzlies, Knicks, Hornets, Cavaliers, Pistons, and Bucks, managed to keep their team salaries just below the $123.73MM tax threshold throughout the league year.
Hornets Notes: Parker, Kemba, Lamb, Kaminsky, MKG
Speaking today to reporters, including Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link), veteran point guard Tony Parker said he’s 50-50 on playing for the Hornets next season. Parker would like to return, but only if he can play on a competitive team.
“I don’t want to play on a rebuilding team,” Parker said (Twitter link). “I want to play for a team that’s fighting to make the playoffs at least.”
The contract Parker signed with the Hornets during the 2018 offseason is a two-year deal, but next year’s $5.25MM salary won’t become guaranteed until July 4, per Basketball Insiders. In other words, even if Parker – who will turn 37 next month – decides he wants to stick around, that interest will need to be mutual.
However, the former Spur said today that the Hornets want him to come back, tweets Bonnell. Parker also admitted that the opportunity to play a regular-season game in Paris is an incentive to return.
As we wait to see what happens with Parker, here are several more Hornets-related notes:
- As Bonnell relays for The Observer, Kemba Walker said after the Hornets’ regular-season finale on Wednesday that he’s unsure whether he expects to remain in Charlotte long-term. Walker did reiterate today that “this is where I want to be” (video link via Rod Boone of The Athletic), but also said that winning will absolutely be his number one priority (Twitter link via Bonnell).
- Asked if the Hornets have done enough to convince him they’re serious about winning, Kemba said that’s still in action, according to Bonnell.
- Walker isn’t the only key Hornet with an uncertain future. As Brendan Marks of The Charlotte Observer details, it’ll be a big summer for veterans like Jeremy Lamb and Frank Kaminsky as well.
- Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who has a $13MM player option for 2019/20, said today that he hasn’t thought much yet about his decision, per Bonnell (Twitter link). He did say that “happiness” – rather than money – is his main concern going forward, though it’d still be a surprise if he opts out.
- As we explained earlier today, a random drawing on Friday will go a long way toward deciding where the Hornets will pick in the first round of this year’s draft.
- Marvin Williams said today that he plans to opt into the final year of his contract. Here’s the full story.
Kings Fire Head Coach Dave Joerger
12:27pm: The Kings have now fired Joerger, officially announcing the decision in a press release.
“After evaluating the season, I determined that we need to move in a different direction in order to take us to the next level,” Divac said in a statement. “On behalf of the entire Kings organization, I want to thank Dave for his contributions to our team and I wish him all the best.”
11:08am: Kings general manager Vlade Divac is having a face-to-face meeting with head coach Dave Joerger today and intends to fire Joerger during that sitdown, league sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
[RELATED: Kings sign Vlade Divac to contract extension]
It’s a somewhat surprising move, given the success Joerger had with the young Kings this season. The club was in playoff contention through the All-Star break and finished with 39 wins, the most victories a Sacramento team has had since the 2005/06 season. Under Joerger, guards De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield enjoyed breakout seasons, with young players like Bogdan Bogdanovic, Harry Giles, and Marvin Bagley also showing promise.
However, the Kings slumped at the end of the season, going 9-17 down the stretch and losing some games that they shouldn’t have. Additionally, Joerger reportedly had some tension with the team’s front office throughout the year related to minutes for young players, and notably clashed with assistant GM Brandon Williams. An earlier report from Sam Amick of The Athletic (Twitter link) indicated that Williams won’t be back next season either.
In three total seasons with the Kings, Joerger posted a 98-148 (.398) record, with no playoff appearances. He previously coached the Grizzlies for three years, posting a 147-99 (.598) regular-season mark in Memphis, with a 9-13 record in four playoff series. Joerger had one year remaining on his contract with the Kings.
Wojnarowski suggests (via Twitter) that Divac, with a new contract extension in hand, is “consolidating power” around himself in the Kings’ front office. He’ll presumably take the lead in picking Joerger’s replacement.
According to Marc Stein of The New York Times (via Twitter), Luke Walton would be a top candidate for Sacramento if the Lakers let him go, though Walton isn’t necessarily a lock to be replaced in L.A. now that Magic Johnson has stepped down. ESPN’s Zach Lowe (via Twitter) also identifies Spurs assistant Ettore Messina as a name to watch in Sacramento, while Amick (via Twitter) adds Sixers assistant Monty Williams to the list of potential candidates for the Kings.
As for Joerger, the Minnesota native has frequently been linked to the Timberwolves’ head coaching job, as Lowe notes (via Twitter). However, there’s a belief that Ryan Saunders might hang onto his position with the Wolves — that situation is in flux, as Minnesota seeks a new president of basketball operations.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Suns Announce New Front Office Structure
The Suns have formally issued a press release announcing new job titles in their front office and confirming the hire of veteran executive Jeff Bower, which was reported earlier this week.
Since the dismissal of general manager Ryan McDonough last fall, James Jones and Trevor Bukstein had been running the front office in Phoenix as co-interim GMs. Jones and Bukstein will stick with the Suns going forward, but only Jones will remain in the GM position on a permanent basis. Bukstein, who is more of a scouting and salary-cap specialist, will assume the role of assistant GM.
As for Bower, he’ll be the Suns’ senior vice president of basketball operations. According to the Suns, Jones will oversee all basketball operations, with Bower and Bukstein reporting to him.
“James has demonstrated a remarkable ability to manage the day-to-day efforts of our front office while developing strong relationships with our players, coaches and those across our organization and league,” team owner Robert Sarver said in a statement. “Furthermore, he is instilling the same championship culture and standard that he experienced on multiple occasions as a player. I have the utmost confidence in James as the leader of our basketball operations moving forward, and we are aligned in the ultimate goal of one day bringing an NBA championship to Phoenix.”
It should be a busy offseason for the new front office in Phoenix — the Suns are in position to nab a top draft pick in the lottery, and will also have some cap flexibility, even if Tyler Johnson picks up his player option and Kelly Oubre is re-signed as a restricted free agent.
[RELATED: Suns expected to be active in free agency]
Of course, before addressing the roster in June and July, the Suns will need to make a decision on head coach Igor Kokoskov, who led the team to a disappointing 19-63 record in his first year in Phoenix. Greg Moore of The Arizona Republic questioned this week whether Kokoskov might be a one-and-done coach, but there has been no indication yet which way the Suns’ new decision-makers are leaning.
Marvin Williams Plans To Exercise Player Option
One of three Hornets veterans with player options for 2019/20, forward Marvin Williams said today that he doesn’t intend to opt out of his deal this summer, according to Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).
“I’ll be back,” Williams said.
Williams, the second overall pick in the 2005 draft, is coming off another solid season in which he averaged 10.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 1.2 APG with a .422/.366/.767 shooting line for Charlotte.
A forward like Williams, who can guard multiple positions and knock down three-pointers (.378 3PT% since joining the Hornets in 2014), would probably do reasonably well on the open market.
However, the former UNC standout is entering his age-33 season and is already on a favorable contract — his 2019/20 option will pay him just over $15MM. As such, exercising that option makes sense.
It wouldn’t be surprise if all three Hornets with player options ultimately decide to opt in, putting off free agency for another year. Besides Williams, Bismack Biyombo ($17MM) and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist ($13MM) will have decisions to make before the new league year begins.
If all three players pick up their options, it would add about $45MM to Charlotte’s cap for 2019/20, reducing the club’s flexibility to make upgrades, whether or not Kemba Walker decides to return.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Kings Sign GM Vlade Divac To Extension
10:37am: The Kings have issued a press release officially announcing Divac’s extension through 2022/23.
“It is an exciting time to be in Sacramento and I am honored to continue my work of building towards sustained success for this franchise,” Divac said in a statement. “I believe our team has what it takes to win and make the playoffs. I want to thank (owner) Vivek (Ranadive), the entire Kings organization and the fans for all their support.”
10:29am: Divac is pushing to consolidate his power as the Kings’ top basketball executive and is seriously weighing the possibility of dismissing Joerger, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). According to Woj, Divac and Joerger will have a meeting today.
Meanwhile, Divac is currently meeting with Williams and has decided that the assistant GM won’t be retained for next season, per Amick (Twitter link).
8:21am: The Kings have reached an agreement on a contract extension with general manager Vlade Divac, sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic. According to Amick, Divac’s new deal will run for four years, keeping him under contract through 2022/23. Previously, his agreement with the team was set to expire in 2020.
Although the Kings couldn’t snap their league-high 13-year playoff drought this spring, the franchise showed promising signs of growth, with second-year point guard De’Aaron Fox and third-year shooting guard Buddy Hield both enjoying career years and exhibiting All-Star potential.
Other young players like Bogdan Bogdanovic, Marvin Bagley, and Harry Giles also took steps forward, and Sacramento was able to add forward Harrison Barnes at the trade deadline. All of the Kings’ core players were acquired by Divac’s management group.
With the general manager now locked up to a long-term deal, the focus in Sacramento will now shift to head coach Dave Joerger, whose fate rests “solely in Divac’s hands,” sources tell Amick. Joerger has one year remaining on his own contract.
While the Kings exceeded expectations this season, the team didn’t finish particularly strong, losing 17 of its last 26 games, including a few defeats at the hands of clubs that didn’t seem to be trying too hard to win, Amick notes. Joerger also clashed with assistant GM Brandon Williams earlier in the season. Based on those factors, league insiders don’t view Joerger as a lock to return, per Amick.
Marc Stein of The New York Times first reported that the Kings and Divac were expected to explore an extension at season’s end.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Revisiting 2018/19 NBA Over/Under Predictions
Before the 2018/19 NBA season got underway, we polled Hoops Rumors readers on the win totals for each of the league’s 30 teams, using over/unders from major betting sites. From the Warriors (62.5) to the Hawks (23.5), our readers made their picks for whether each team’s win total would land over or under the projected figures.
The results of our polls suggested that our respondents were particularly bullish on the Central division, where all five teams were voted “over” their projected win totals. Three of those teams came through, with the Bulls and Cavaliers falling well short of their estimates.
How about the rest of our picks? Nearly six months later, let’s check in on the results, comparing our over/under voting to each club’s actual win-loss record for 2018/19:
Western Conference:
Golden State Warriors: Over 62.5: ✖️ (57-25)- Houston Rockets: Over 56.5: ✖️ (53-29)
- Utah Jazz: Over 50.5: ✖️ (50-32)
- Denver Nuggets: Under 48.5: ✖️ (54-28)
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Over 48.5: ✔️ (49-33)
- Los Angeles Lakers: Over 48.5: ✖️ (37-45)
- New Orleans Pelicans: Under 45.5: ✔️ (33-49)
- San Antonio Spurs: Under 44.5: ✖️ (48-34)
- Portland Trail Blazers: Over 42.5: ✔️ (53-29)
- Minnesota Timberwolves: Under 41.5: ✔️ (36-46)
- Los Angeles Clippers: Under 36.5: ✖️ (48-34)
- Dallas Mavericks: Over 34.5: ✖️ (33-49)
- Memphis Grizzlies: Under 34.5: ✔️ (33-49)
- Phoenix Suns: Under 29.5: ✔️ (19-63)
- Sacramento Kings: Under 25.5: ✖️ (39-43)
Total record: 6-9
Eastern Conference:
- Boston Celtics: Over 59.5: ✖️ (49-33)
- Toronto Raptors: Over 55.5: ✔️ (58-24)
- Philadelphia 76ers: Under 54.5: ✔️ (51-31)
- Milwaukee Bucks: Over 47.5: ✔️ (60-22)
- Indiana Pacers: Over 47.5: ✔️ (48-34)
- Washington Wizards: Over 45.5: ✖️ (32-50)
- Miami Heat: Under 43.5: ✔️ (39-43)
- Detroit Pistons: Over 38.5: ✔️ (42-40)
- Charlotte Hornets: Over 35.5: ✔️ (39-43)
- Brooklyn Nets: Under 31.5: ✖️ (42-40)
- Orlando Magic: Under 30.5: ✖️ (42-40)
- Cleveland Cavaliers: Over 30.5: ✖️ (19-63)
- Chicago Bulls: Over 29.5: ✖️ (22-60)
- New York Knicks: Under 28.5: ✔️ (17-65)
- Atlanta Hawks: Under 23.5: ✖️ (29-53)
Total record: 8-7
While we had a sub-.500 record (14-16) overall on our over/under picks for 2018/19, we did pretty well in the Eastern Conference, where there were fewer surprises this season. With the exception of the Celtics and Wizards, we had a good feel for the top nine teams coming into the year, though the Nets‘ and Magic‘s success caught us by surprise, as did the Cavaliers‘ and Bulls‘ struggles.
In the Western Conference, things were more volatile, with the Lakers falling well short of their projection while teams like the Trail Blazers, Clippers, and Kings significantly exceeded theirs. The Jimmy Butler and Anthony Davis sagas in Minnesota and New Orleans respectively helped clinch our “under” picks for the Timberwolves and Pelicans.
Our overall results were modest, but did our “best bets” do any better? Let’s take a look. These were the five predictions that received the largest share of the vote:
- Milwaukee Bucks: Over 47.5 (73.7%): ✔️
- Houston Rockets: Over 56.5 (69.3%): ✖️
- Orlando Magic: Under 30.5 (68.4%): ✖️
- Sacramento Kings: Under 25.5 (63.9%): ✖️
- Minnesota Timberwolves: Under 41.5 (62.5%): ✔️
Our Bucks pick might have been our best. We were extremely bullish on their chances to have a big year, and they exceeded their over/under mark by 12.5 wins, winning an NBA-high 60 games. We also saw the Timberwolves‘ struggles coming.
However, our optimism for the Rockets and our skepticism in the Magic and Kings was somewhat misplaced. Houston at least got close to its projection, with 53 wins, but an 11-14 start was too much to overcome. As for Orlando and Sacramento, we were just way off on both teams — each club exceeded its projected win total by more than 10 games.
Looking back at the preseason projections, along with our predictions, which team surprised or disappointed you the most? Jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts!
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Jaxson Hayes Declares For 2019 NBA Draft
Texas freshman forward/center Jaxson Hayes has entered the 2019 NBA draft and is hiring an agent, the school announced on Thursday morning in a press release.
While Hayes could technically withdraw from the draft by May 29 even after signing with an agent, he appears ready to go pro. The Big 12 Freshman of the Year currently projects as a lottery pick, with ESPN’s Jonathan Givony ranking him as 2019’s No. 9 prospect.
In his first – and likely only – season as a Longhorn, Hayes averaged 10.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and an impressive 2.2 BPG in 32 games (23.3 MPG). He wasn’t a huge factor for Texas’ offense, but didn’t miss often when he did shoot, recording a .728 FG%.
In his scouting report on Hayes, Givony notes that the big man is still “fairly raw in a lot of areas” and isn’t a great defensive rebounder. However, Givony adds that Hayes has major upside and an “excellent physical profile.” Because the youngster began playing basketball late, his trajectory gives him plenty of potential for long-term growth, Givony writes.
Hayes joins an ever-growing list of early entrants for the 2019 NBA draft. Here are a few more prospects who have recently declared for the draft:
- Louis King, F, Oregon (freshman) (Twitter link via John Canzano of The Oregonian): No. 35 on ESPN’s big board.
- Quentin Grimes, G, Kansas (freshman) (Twitter link via Grimes): No. 80 on ESPN’s big board.
- Desmond Bane, G, TCU (junior) (Twitter link via Bane)
- V.J. King, F, Louisville (junior) (Twitter link via Zac Jackson of The Athletic)
- Kaleb Wesson, F, Ohio State (sophomore) (Twitter link via Jeff Goodman of Stadium)
- Kenny Wooten, F, Oregon (sophomore) (Twitter link via John Canzano of The Oregonian)