Headlines

Month: May 2019

Atlantic Notes: B. Brown, Butler, Anunoby, Nets

By | at May 14, 2019 1:23 pm

After telling ESPN on Monday night that head coach Brett Brown would be retained by the Sixers for the 2019/20 season, managing partner Josh Harris insisted today that Brown was never on the hot seat and knew during the series vs. Toronto that his job wasn’t in jeopardy (Twitter link via Keith Pompey of Philly.com).

“Lots (has) been made about this in the press, and truthfully, you can’t believe what you’re hearing,” Harris said of the Brown rumors, per Jon Johnson of WIP (Twitter link).

While the Sixers ultimately decided to stick with Brown, it’s odd that Harris should act as if the decision was never in doubt, according to Derek Bodner of The Athletic. In a tweet, Bodner points out that the team had a number of opportunities to squash speculation about Brown’s job security in recent weeks and months, and never did so.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

  • Although he was quiet at times and saw his stats dip during the regular season after joining the Sixers, Jimmy Butler showed in the playoffs why he’ll still be one of the top free agents on the market this summer. As Marc Narducci of Philly.com relays, Butler believes the offers he gets this July will reflect that. “Technically I think, knock on wood, I will get a max contract anywhere I choose to go,” Butler said on Monday. “So if you are talking a four-year, five-year, that is more than enough money anyway. I think I still have more than enough money now from my first deal.”
  • Raptors forward OG Anunoby is starting to get more active, but it’ll still be another week before he can get up close to full speed, head coach Nick Nurse said today (Twitter link via Blake Murphy of The Athletic). In other words, Anunoby – who is recovering from an appendectomy – sounds unlikely to play a real role in the Eastern Finals unless he’s able to get back near the end of the series.
  • Draft-and-stash prospect Isaia Cordinier expects to play for the Nets in this year’s Summer League and hopes to join the team at some point, as he tells French site BeBasket (link via NetsDaily).
  • Illinois State wing Milik Yarbrough was among the prospects who worked out for the Nets last week, tweets Nicola Lupo of Sportando.
5 comments Brooklyn Nets Philadelphia 76ers Toronto Raptors

Knicks Have Interest In Terry Rozier, Marcus Morris

By | at May 14, 2019 12:17 pm

While Kyrie Irving has been linked to New York for months, he’s not the only Celtics free agent that the Knicks will have their eye on this offseason. League sources tell A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston that the Knicks will also have interest in Terry Rozier and Marcus Morris.

Rozier, who is finishing his rookie contract with Boston, will be eligible for restricted free agent, meaning the Celtics will have the option to match any offer sheet he signs, assuming they issue him a qualifying offer to retain his rights. Morris will be an unrestricted free agent.

While Rozier and Morris may be among the names on the Knicks’ wish list, the team figures to use its cap room to target top-tier free agents like Irving and Kevin Durant before turning to its Plan B or C. According to Blakely, New York has also expressed some interest in Daniel Theis, but he’d be even further down the club’s list, and isn’t considered a likely target.

Rozier’s free agency should be one of the more interesting cases this summer, particularly among non-stars. He spoke at the end of the Celtics’ season about wanting a “fresh start” and a more prominent role, whether that happens in Boston or elsewhere. And during an appearance today on ESPN’s Get Up (video link via Chris Grenham of NESN), he expressed little interest in returning to Boston if the C’s plan to run it back in 2019/20 with the same roster.

“I might have to go,” Rozier told Stephen A. Smith when asked about that scenario. “I put up with a lot this year. I said what I said after the season. I think we all know that I’m not trying to step into that again.”

During the same interview, Rozier also didn’t exactly offer an enthusiastic endorsement for his experience of playing alongside – and behind – Irving in Boston.

“He’s a great guy, great leader,” Rozier said of Irving (video link via The Undefeated). “You know, you just have to adjust to his style. Whatever Kyrie wants done, he’s gonna show it, that’s what he wants done. You have to adjust to his style of play and how he goes about every game and every day.”

36 comments Boston Celtics New York Knicks Newsstand

2019 NBA Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Utah Jazz

By | at May 14, 2019 11:14 am

For a second straight year, the Jazz finished the regular season with a strong home stretch after an up-and-down first half. And for a second straight year, they ran into the Rockets in the playoffs, unable to mount a serious threat against James Harden‘s squad. With the current squad having perhaps reached its ceiling, the Jazz will likely look to make some changes to their roster this summer.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Jazz financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2019:

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

  • None

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Restricted Free Agents

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Projected Salary Cap: $109,000,000
Projected Tax Line: $132,000,000

Offseason Cap Outlook

  • Maximum cap room projection: $38.9MM
  • This projection takes into account Utah’s seven players on fully guaranteed salaries, O’Neale’s non-guaranteed salary, and the cap hold for their first-round pick. It also assumes that Korver is waived and stretched.
  • The Jazz could end up with significantly less cap room. If Favors is retained, for example, his cap hit would reduce Utah’s cap space by nearly $17MM. Retaining other non-guaranteed players like Neto and Niang would further cut into that space. If the Jazz were to waive-and-stretch Korver but retained Favors, Neto, and O’Neale, they’d have $20.8MM in cap room.

Cap Exceptions Available

  • Room exception: $4,760,000 6

Footnotes

  1. Favors’ salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 6.
  2. Korver’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 7.
  3. Neto’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 6.
  4. The salaries for two-way players don’t count against a team’s cap, but their cap holds do during the offseason.
  5. McCree can’t be used in a sign-and-trade deal.
  6. This is a projected value. In the event the Jazz remain over the cap, they’d instead have access to the full mid-level exception ($9,246,000), the bi-annual exception ($3,619,000), and their lone trade exception ($3,976,515; expires 11/29/19).

Note: Minimum-salary and rookie-scale cap holds are estimates based on salary cap projections and could increase or decrease depending on where the cap lands.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders and RealGM was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

0 comments Hoops Rumors Originals Offseason Salary Cap Digest Utah Jazz

Timberwolves To Interview Pelicans’ Chris Finch

By | at May 14, 2019 10:19 am

As part of their newly-launched head coaching search, the Timberwolves have been granted permission to interview Pelicans assistant Chris Finch for the position, league sources tell Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link).

We learned earlier today that new Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas has decided to open up the team’s head coaching search beyond interim coach Ryan Saunders. While Saunders remains a strong candidate for the full-time job, the team is also said to be meeting with Heat assistant Juwan Howard and Trail Blazers assistant David Vanterpool. We can now add Finch to that list of candidates too.

Although he’s currently part of the Pelicans’ staff, Finch’s longest-term role as an NBA assistant came in Houston from 2011-16. Rosas was part of the Rockets’ front office during that time, so he’s very familiar with the veteran assistant.

Finch was also the associate head coach in Denver for one season between his stints with the Rockets and Pelicans. Last year, he received interest from the Hornets and the Suns when they sought new head coaches.

1 comment Minnesota Timberwolves New Orleans Pelicans

2019 NBA Draft Lottery Primer

By | at May 14, 2019 9:00 am

The 2019 NBA draft lottery will take place on Tuesday night in Chicago before Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. The half-hour event will be broadcast on ESPN beginning at 7:30 pm central time.

As Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com outline, there’s a ton at stake in the 2019 lottery, as many of the teams involved could badly use a player like Zion Williamson or Ja Morant. The results could also have an impact on the offseason’s Anthony Davis sweepstakes, since whichever club lands the No. 1 pick will immediately have a viable AD trade chip.

Here’s what you need to know heading into tonight’s lottery:

Pre-Lottery Draft Order:

The top 14 picks in the 2019 NBA draft would look like this if tonight’s lottery results don’t change the order:

  1. New York Knicks
  2. Cleveland Cavaliers
  3. Phoenix Suns
  4. Chicago Bulls
  5. Atlanta Hawks
  6. Washington Wizards
  7. New Orleans Pelicans
  8. Memphis Grizzlies
    • Note: The Celtics will receive this pick if it falls out of the top eight.
  9. Atlanta Hawks (from Mavericks)
    • Note: The Mavericks will keep this pick if it moves up into the top four.
  10. Minnesota Timberwolves
  11. Los Angeles Lakers
  12. Charlotte Hornets
  13. Miami Heat
  14. Boston Celtics (from Kings)
    • Note: The Sixers will receive this pick if it moves up to No. 1.

For the full pre-lottery draft order, click here.

Draft Lottery Odds:

The Knicks, Cavaliers, and Suns have the best odds to land the No. 1 pick. Each team has a 14.0% chance to pick first overall, and a 52.1% shot at a top-four pick.

From there, the Bulls (48.0%), Hawks (42.1%), and Wizards (37.2%) have the best odds at a top-four selection, with no other team above 26.3%.

For the full draft lottery odds for all 14 spots, click here.

Trades Affecting The Draft Lottery:

Three trades will have an impact on Tuesday night’s lottery results. They are as follows:

Celtics/Grizzlies

The Celtics own the Grizzlies‘ top-eight protected first-round pick, so they’ll receive that selection if it’s No. 9 or lower. There’s a 42.6% chance that happens.

Memphis also has a 26.3% chance of moving up into the top four. The worst-case scenario for the Grizzlies, who wouldn’t mind conveying their pick this year so it doesn’t become even more attractive in a future draft, would be for the pick to land at No. 8 — there’s a 31.1% chance of that.

If the Grizzlies keep the pick this year, they’d owe the Celtics their top-six protected first-round pick in 2020.

Hawks/Mavericks

The Hawks own the Mavericks‘ top-five protected first-round pick, so they’ll receive the selection if it’s No. 6 or lower. Technically, the Dallas pick can’t fall between 5-8 due to the team’s place in the lottery.

There’s a 26.3% chance that the Mavericks’ pick will move up into the top four, in which case Dallas would keep it. Atlanta has a 73.7% chance to end up with the selection, including a 46.4% chance that it’s at No. 9.

If the Mavericks keep the pick this year, they’d owe the Hawks their top-five protected first-round pick in 2020.

Kings/Celtics/Sixers

The Celtics own the Kings‘ first-round pick, which has a 95.2% chance to land at No. 14. However, there are two scenarios that could shake up the draft.

The pick has a 3.8% chance of moving up to the 2-4 range, in which case it would stick with Boston, giving the C’s a chance to draft a top-four player after appearing in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

If the pick moves all the way up to No. 1 (1.0% chance), the Sixers would acquire the pick, sending their own first-rounder (No. 24) to Boston. In that long-shot scenario, Philadelphia would be in position to draft Williamson after playing in the Eastern Semifinals themselves.

Draft Lottery Representatives:

The representatives for each of this year’s lottery teams are as follows, according to a press release issued by the NBA:

  1. New York Knicks
    • On stage: Patrick Ewing (former player)
    • Lottery room: Allan Houston (special assistant to the GM)
  2. Cleveland Cavaliers
    • On stage: Nick Gilbert (son of team owner)
    • Lottery room: Brock Aller (senior director of basketball operations)
  3. Phoenix Suns
  4. Chicago Bulls
    • On stage: Horace Grant (special advisor to president/COO)
    • Lottery room: Joey Reinsdorf (son of president/COO)
  5. Atlanta Hawks
    • On stage: Jami Gertz (co-owner)
    • Lottery room: Michelle Leftwich (VP, salary cap administration)
  6. Washington Wizards
    • On stage: Raul Fernandez (vice chairman)
    • Lottery room: Tommy Sheppard (senior VP of basketball operations)
  7. New Orleans Pelicans
    • On stage: Alvin Gentry (head coach)
    • Lottery room: David Griffin (executive VP of basketball operations)
  8. Memphis Grizzlies
    • On stage: Elliot Perry (minority owner / director of player support)
    • Lottery room: Zach Kleiman (executive VP of basketball operations)
  9. Dallas Mavericks
    • On stage: Cynthia Marshall (CEO)
    • Lottery room: Keith Grant (assistant GM)
  10. Minnesota Timberwolves
    • On stage: Gersson Rosas (president of basketball operations)
    • Lottery room: Brad Ruiter (VP of communications)
  11. Los Angeles Lakers
    • On stage: Kyle Kuzma
    • Lottery room: Rob Pelinka (GM)
  12. Charlotte Hornets
    • On stage: James Borrego (head coach)
    • Lottery room: Buzz Peterson (assistant GM)
  13. Miami Heat
    • On stage: Alonzo Mourning (VP, player programs)
    • Lottery room: Andy Elisburg (senior VP of basketball operations / GM)
  14. Boston Celtics
    • On stage: Rich Gotham (president)
    • Lottery room: Mike Zarren (assistant GM)
  15. Philadelphia 76ers
    • On stage: Chris Heck (president)
    • Lottery room: Ian Hillman (VP, strategy & analytics)

First Year For Current Lottery Format:

This will be the first year that the NBA uses its new lottery system, which reduces the odds that the league’s very worst teams will land a top pick and makes the top four selections available via the lottery, instead of the top three.

As we outlined when we took a closer look at four potential lottery results, the new format could create a little more mayhem on lottery night.

For instance, in past years, there was a 60.5% chance that one of the league’s bottom three teams would secure the No. 1 pick, and only a 27.6% chance that a team in the 5-14 range of the lottery standings would do so. This year, those odds are 42.0% and 45.5%, respectively.

For full details on the new lottery format, click here.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

24 comments 2019 NBA Draft Hoops Rumors Originals

Wolves Begin Head Coaching Search; Saunders Still ‘Prominent’ Candidate

By | at May 14, 2019 7:58 am

Having settled into his new role in Minnesota, Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas has decided to launch a search for the club’s head coaching position, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Interim coach Ryan Saunders, who had widely been viewed as a strong bet to keep the job, will remain a “prominent” candidate, according to Wojnarowski, but the team will interview outside candidates as well. League sources tell Woj that Heat assistant Juwan Howard and Trail Blazers assistant David Vanterpool are among those will meet with the Wolves about the position.

Howard and Vanterpool have been popular targets so far this spring for teams making head coaching changes. Howard interviewed with the Lakers and Cavaliers, while Vanterpool has met with the Cavs and Suns.

[RELATED: 2019 NBA Head Coaching Search Tracker]

Wojnarowski reports that Howard is expected to meet with Rosas during this week’s draft combine, while Vanterpool will likely connect with Rosas later in the week.

As for Saunders, he has made a strong impression on team ownership since taking over for Tom Thibodeau on Minnesota’s bench during the 2018/19 season, according to Wojnarowski. Saunders has also impressed Rosas, having met with him for “a dozen or so hours” since the former Rockets exec was hired. Nonetheless, the Wolves want to consider all their options before simply handing the reins to Saunders on a permanent basis.

1 comment Miami Heat Minnesota Timberwolves Newsstand Portland Trail Blazers

Northwest Notes: Hood, Millsap, Zanik, Jazz

By | at May 13, 2019 10:54 pm

An MRI on Trail Blazers guard Rodney Hood‘s left knee showed no structural damage and he’ll be listed as day-to-day for the Western Conference Finals, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. Hood suffered a bone bruise when he ran into a pick set by the Nuggets’ Torrey Craig during Portland’s Game 7 victory on Sunday. Hood, who enters unrestricted free agency this summer, was a major factor off the bench in the series against the Nuggets. He averaged 14.7 PPG in the conference semifinals.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

  • Veteran forward Paul Millsap is intent on helping a team win a championship, whether it’s the Nuggets or another contending franchise, as he told Mike Singer of the Denver Post. The team holds a $30MM option on Millsap’s contract for next season. “We’ve proved everybody wrong,” the 34-year-old Millsap said. “For me, not really trying to prove everybody wrong, but prove to myself that I can do it my way and still win. I can do it with whoever I want to do it with. It ain’t got to be the Golden State Warriors of the Lakers or whatever. I can help a young, talented team reach that goal.”
  • New Jazz GM Justin Zanik believes that continuity within the organization will get it to the next level, as he told Ryan McDonald of the Deseret News. Zanik was promoted from assistant GM last week. “We have a very experienced front office and we know what we need to do,” he said, “so however we get that done, we’re going to do it together and continue to just keep pushing forward with the Jazz to keep us on this championship-competitive path.”
  • Zanik’s promotion, as well as the elevation of Dennis Lindsey to executive VP of basketball operations, doesn’t mean big changes are on the way, Eric Walden of the Salt Lake Tribune writes.
6 comments Denver Nuggets Portland Trail Blazers Utah Jazz

Brett Brown Will Remain Sixers’ Head Coach

By | at May 13, 2019 10:05 pm

Brett Brown will return as the Sixers’ head coach next season, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. Philadelphia’s managing partner Josh Harris informed Wojnarowski of the decision.

Harris, Brown and GM Elton Brand met on Monday to discuss offseason priorities, including the draft and free agency, Wojnarowski adds.

Brown, 58, has been the head coach in Philadelphia since the 2013/14 season. He guided the Sixers to 52 and 51 regular-season wins during the past two seasons, but the team has been eliminated in the conference semifinals both years. Philadephia took Toronto to the limit but fell in Game 7 Sunday on Kawhi Leonard‘s last-second field goal.

Prior to the series finale, a report indicated that Brown would likely lose his job unless the Sixers reached the NBA Finals.

If the Sixers had parted ways with Brown they would have paid him not to coach. He was handed a three-year extension last May by former president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo.

Several Philadelphia’s players, including J.J. Redick, Jimmy Butler and Joel Embiid, expressed support for Brown after the heart-wrenching loss on Sunday and that may have helped his cause.

However, the Sixers’ roster could look much different next season with three starters — Butler, Redick and Tobias Harris — becoming free agents.

11 comments Newsstand Philadelphia 76ers

Durant, Cousins Could Miss Conference Finals

By | at May 13, 2019 9:07 pm

Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins are not close to returning to action, Warriors coach Steve Kerr told the media, including the Associated Press’ Janie McCauley, on Monday.

A report earlier in the day indicated Durant would miss at least Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday with his calf strain. Durant was injured during Game 5 of the conference semifinals against Houston.

Kerr said Durant hadn’t “even stepped on the floor” yet, so any speculation about when he’ll return is pointless.

“We’ve tried to remain somewhat vague because the injury is really sort of open-ended in terms of how long he’s going to need to recover. But I think in doing so people have gotten the idea that he’s going to come back and be Willis Reed or something,” Kerr said. “He hasn’t even stepped on the floor yet, he still has pain. There’s time ahead of him on the rehab process.”

Golden State defeated Houston on the road Saturday without Durant to wrap up that series. Now, the Warriors are faced with the possibility of playing without Durant for much, if not all, of the conference finals against Portland. The Trail Blazers are banged up as well, as they’ve advanced through the playoffs without starting center Jusuf Nurkic. Key reserve Rodney Hood suffered a bone bruise on his knee Sunday in Game 7 against Denver.

Cousins partially tore his left quadriceps muscle in Game 2 of the first round against the Clippers. There has been growing optimism that he’d back at some point during the conference finals but Kerr downplayed that possibility.

“He hasn’t had any live stuff on the court yet, so he’s not that close either,” Kerr said. “Hopefully another week goes by and things start to get better and now we have a better prognosis. At this point we’re getting ready for this series without both of them.”

19 comments Golden State Warriors Newsstand

Lakers Hire Frank Vogel As Head Coach

By | at May 13, 2019 7:47 pm

MAY 13, 7:47pm: The Lakers have officially signed Vogel to a multiyear contract, according to a team press release.

“We are excited to add Frank Vogel as the next head coach of the Lakers,” Pelinka said in a statement. “Coach Vogel has a proven track record of success in the NBA Playoffs, and he reflects the core qualities we were looking for in a head coach – including, detailed game preparation, extreme hard work, and holding players accountable to the highest basketball standards.”

MAY 11, 6:13pm: Vogel has accepted a three-year deal to be the Lakers’ next coach, Wojnarowski tweets. Kidd has agreed to join his staff in a “prominent assistant coaching role” (Twitter link).

Vogel probably won’t have a top assistant, with the entire staff being considered equal, Woj adds. A team source called it “the Phil Jackson model,” another indication that Jackson and Rambis had a hand in Vogel’s hiring.

4:14pm: Frank Vogel has become “a front-runner” in the Lakers’ coaching search after interviewing with the team on Thursday, according to Adrian Wojnarowski and Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Sources say the team plans to hire Jason Kidd as an assistant to work with Vogel.

GM Rob Pelinka has been talking to people who have experience with Vogel and Kidd to determine if they can comfortably fit together on the same staff, the authors add. The Lakers admire how Kidd developed young talent in Milwaukee and view him as a mentor for Lonzo Ball.

Vogel, 45, was previously a head coach with the Magic and Pacers, compiling a 304-291 record with five playoff appearances. He has been out of coaching since being fired in Orlando at the end of last season.

Vogel’s interview included “detailed discussions” on how he would handle a volatile situation in Los Angeles. The Lakers underachieved in LeBron James‘ first year in L.A., then saw team president Magic Johnson resign on the final day of the season, followed by a chaotic coaching search with assumed favorite Tyronn Lue turning down an offer this week.

[Related: 2019 NBA Head Coaching Search Tracker]

The move toward Vogel underscores the influence of adviser Kurt Rambis and former coach Phil Jackson, according to Wojnarowski and Youngmisuk, who note that Vogel was the second choice when Jackson hired Jeff Hornacek to coach the Knicks three years ago.

Mike Woodson and Lionel Hollins were also rumored to be in the running for the Lakers’ job after negotiations with Lue ended. Their status is unclear in light of the latest news on Vogel.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

34 comments Los Angeles Lakers Newsstand
Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors