Chuma Okeke To Stay In Draft, Skip Combine
Auburn sophomore forward Chuma Okeke will sign with an agent and keep his name in the NBA draft, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony tweets.
Okeke has decided not to participate in the NBA Combine, apparently comfortable with his draft status, Givony adds. The 6’8” Okeke is currently ranked No. 41 by Givony.
The decision to sit out the Combine suggests Okeke will go higher than that, perhaps in the first round. Okeke suffered a torn left ACL during the NCAA Tournament and underwent surgery on April 2nd.
He posted averages of 12.0 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.8 SPG and 1.2 BPG during his sophomore campaign. He excelled in the tournaments, notching 18 points and 13 rebounds against Tennessee in the Tigers’ 84-64 Southeast Conference championship victory. Okeke erupted for 20 points and 12 rebounds against North Carolina in a 97-80 win during the Sweet 16 before he suffered the injury while driving to the basket.
Okeke came off the bench during his freshman season, averaging 7.5 PPG and 5.8 RPG.
Bickerstaff, Other Candidates Could Join Beilein’s Staff
New Cavaliers coach John Beilein is expected to meet with former Grizzlies coach J.B. Bickerstaff to gauge Bickerstaff’s interest in becoming his associate head coach, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. Bickerstaff met with Cleveland’s front office and was also a candidate for the Lakers job before they hired Frank Vogel.
Bickerstaff may not be the only candidate the Cavaliers interviewed who could potentially join Beilein’s staff. They will likely hire at least one other from that pool, Joe Vardon of The Athletic reports.
Cleveland stunned the basketball world on Monday by plucking the 66-year-old Beilein out of the college ranks and naming the University of Michigan head man as its head coach.
GM Koby Altman conducted an extensive search, interviewing at least 10 other candidates, mostly NBA assistants. Among that group, Alex Jensen (Utah), Jamahl Mosley (Dallas) and Jordi Fernandez (Denver) are candidates to wind up on Beilein’s staff, as is Nate Tibbetts (Portland), who was expected to get an interview until the Cavs focused on the Wolverines coach.
Beilein is on board with having seasoned NBA assistants on the bench, Vardon continues, but wants to chat with potential candidates to find out which would be the best fits.
Vardon also added these nuggets in his story:
- There was already mutual interest between the Cavs and Beilein when assistant GM and West Virginia alum Mike Gansey visited his former college coach at the Final Four in Minneapolis on April 6. Beilein was not viewed as a leading candidate for the job at the time mainly because the Cleveland brass doubted Beilein would leave Michigan.
- Altman and his staff quietly interviewed Beilein last week. Later in the week, Beilein met with Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, who lives in suburban Detroit. Beilein emerged as the Cavs’ choice after that meeting.
- The youth and fluidity of the Cavs’ roster intrigued Beilein. It gives Beilein a chance to mold the team to his liking, as he’s done previously in his college stops.
Reinsdorf Defends Staff, Sees ‘Big Jump’ Next Season
Bulls president Michael Reinsdorf defended his top front office executives and head coach in a radio interview on Monday and said he expects the team to make big strides next season. Reinsdorf made those comments on 670 The Score’s Mully and Haugh (hat tip to NBC Sports Chicago’s Dan Santaromita).
Reinsdorf and the Bulls have taken a lot of heat for retaining GM Gar Forman and VP of basketball operations John Paxson. Reinsdorf said the duo built “championship-caliber teams” before Derrick Rose suffered serious knee injuries. He also feels they have drafted well, naming Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson, Nikola Mirotic and Joakim Noah among their best picks.
He’s confident with a young core group and a high lottery pick, the Bulls are on the upswing. Heading into Tuesday’s lottery, Chicago holds the No. 4 spot.
“I feel like we have a great opportunity with this year’s draft to add another player and I don’t think it’s unreasonable to think we can jump from where we were this year to a much better record,” Reinsdorf said. “I really think we’re set up. … I don’t claim that next year we’re going to be a championship caliber team, but I think you’re going to see the next step next year and a big jump.”
The Bulls could have up to $19MM in cap space this summer and Reinsdorf says they’ll use it to fortify the bench.
“We’re going to follow this plan through,” Reinsdorf said. “We have some cap space this year to spend on players. I do think we need to add to our depth and we’ll do that.”
Chicago’s decision to hand Jim Boylen a multiyear extension also caused grumbling among Bulls fans, considering the team’s 22-60 record. Reinsdorf was convinced by season’s end that the head coach had earned it.
“I think we knew towards the end of the season that Jim was the right person for us,” Reinsdorf said. “We had enough experience with him and so it was just a matter of getting the contract done.”
2019 NBA Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Indiana Pacers
The Pacers proved in the early going this season that their 2017/18 success was no fluke, then proved they were capable of winning games without their star player after Victor Oladipo went down with a season-ending quad injury. Ultimately, the Oladipo-less Pacers couldn’t make any noise in the playoffs, but there’s plenty of reason for optimism as they enter an important offseason.
Here’s where things currently stand for the Pacers financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2019:
Guaranteed Salary
- Victor Oladipo ($21,000,000)
- Myles Turner ($18,000,000)
- Doug McDermott ($7,333,333)
- Domantas Sabonis ($3,529,555)
- T.J. Leaf ($2,813,280)
- Monta Ellis ($2,245,400) — Waived via stretch provision
- Aaron Holiday ($2,239,200)
- Alize Johnson ($761,536) — Partial guarantee. Non-guaranteed portion noted below. 1
- Total: $57,922,304
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- Edmond Sumner ($1,588,231)
- Total: $1,588,231
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Alize Johnson ($655,316) 1
- Total: $655,316
Restricted Free Agents
- Davon Reed (two-way qualifying offer / $1,443,842 cap hold): Non-Bird rights 2
- Total: $1,443,842
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
- Thaddeus Young ($20,646,068): Bird rights
- Cory Joseph ($15,095,500): Bird rights
- Tyreke Evans ($14,880,000): Non-Bird rights
- Bojan Bogdanovic ($13,650,000): Early Bird rights
- Darren Collison ($13,000,000): Early Bird rights
- Kyle O’Quinn ($5,338,800): Non-Bird rights
- No. 18 overall pick ($2,813,280)
- Wesley Matthews ($1,618,486): Non-Bird rights
- Total: $87,042,134
Projected Salary Cap: $109,000,000
Projected Tax Line: $132,000,000
Offseason Cap Outlook
- Maximum cap room projection: $44MM
- This cap projection assumes the Pacers keep their seven players with salary guarantees (including Johnson, since waiving him would mean eating his guarantee and replacing him with an empty roster charge) and their first-round pick.
- In reality, if the Pacers plan on re-signing two or three of their free agents, it’s possible they’ll have much less cap room. They could even operate as an over-the-cap team if they bring back a few players. For what it’s worth, retaining Bogdanovic’s cap hold along with their other seven players and their pick would result in about $31.3MM in cap space.
Cap Exceptions Available
- Room exception: $4,760,000 3
Footnotes
- Johnson’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 15.
- The salaries for two-way players don’t count against a team’s cap, but their cap holds do during the offseason.
- This is a projected value. In the event the Pacers remain over the cap, they’d instead have access to the full mid-level exception ($9,246,000) and the bi-annual exception ($3,619,000).
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.
Sixers Notes: Brown, Butler, Harris, Redick
Prior to Sunday’s Game Seven, a report indicated that Brett Brown could be in danger of losing his job if he couldn’t lead his Sixers past the Raptors (and perhaps the Bucks too). Now that the 76ers have been eliminated, we’re still waiting for official word on where Brown stands, but many of his players would like to see him back on the sidelines next season, as Keith Pompey of Philly.com writes.
“I would say this in general. For any NBA team, when you think about a coach, and potentially replacing that coach, you have to consider what coaches are available,” J.J. Redick said. “You know what I mean? That’s just in general. I don’t feel it necessary to defend Brett to anyone. I think his work speaks for itself.”
Jimmy Butler and Joel Embiid also offered up praise for Brown, with Butler stating, “I think he’s going to be here for a long time.” Embiid called rumors about Brown’s hot seat “bulls—,” adding, “I don’t think he should have anything to worry about.”
The unity displayed by many of the Sixers’ key players on Brown may reflect a deeper sense of family and culture that has developed in Philadelphia this year, as Jake Fischer of SI.com tweets. According to Fischer, multiple people close to the team have credited Embiid and Ben Simmons for helping cultivate that culture by embracing one another as franchise partners.
As we wait to learn Brown’s fate, let’s round up several more items on the Sixers:
- Embiid would like to see both of Philadelphia’s top free agents – Butler and Tobias Harris – return next season, calling them “great guys on and off the court,” tweets Pompey. Here’s what Butler said about his upcoming free agency, per Derek Bodner of The Athletic (Twitter link): “I haven’t thought about (free agency) too much…You always want to be able to win. I think that’s key for sure. You’re looking at coaches. You’re looking at the city. There’s a lot that goes in to it.”
- They won’t be paid like Butler and Harris, but Redick and Mike Scott both expressed interest in returning to the Sixers as free agents too (Twitter links via Pompey and Kyle Neubeck of The Philly Voice). Redick said he’d like to finish his career in Philadelphia, while Scott said he has spoken to both GM Elton Brand and head coach Brett Brown, telling them he’d like to play under Brown next season.
- In an Insider-only piece, ESPN’s Bobby Marks previews the Sixers’ offseason, writing that failing to re-sign at least one of Butler or Harris would be a “disaster” for the franchise. In his own look at the Sixers’ summer, Sean Deveney of Sporting News suggests Harris is more likely to return than Butler, but he expects the team to do all it can to bring back both forwards.
- The safe bet heading into the offseason is that the Sixers bring back a relatively similar roster and count on increased familiarity with one another to lead to continued improvement. However, as Tom Haberstroh of NBC Sports writes, some executives around the NBA wouldn’t be shocked to see wholesale changes in Philadelphia this summer.
Suns’ Josh Jackson Arrested In Florida
Suns forward Josh Jackson was arrested at the Rolling Loud music festival in Miami Gardens, Florida this weekend, reports Andy Slater of 640 The Hurricanes (Twitter link).
A source tells Slater that Jackson tried to enter the VIP area without a proper pass too many times. He ran away after being handcuffed by police, and was charged with escape and resisting arrest after being re-apprehended, Slater reports. Gina Mizell of The Athletic relays the public case information for Jackson, which indicates that he posted a $1,000 bond and has a hearing scheduled for June 10.
The Suns are aware of the incident and are still in the process of gathering information, according to a report from ArizonaSports.com. That story also notes that this isn’t the first time Jackson has run into off-court issues — among other incidents, he was charged with misdemeanor property damage during his time at Kansas and was fined $20K by the Suns this past season when he didn’t show up for a team-sponsored autograph session.
Jackson was the fourth overall pick in the 2017 draft, but he has been inconsistent during his first two NBA seasons and the management group that selected him is no longer in place in Phoenix, making his long-term future with the franchise unclear.
With T.J. Warren and Mikal Bridges on long-term contracts and Kelly Oubre still under team control as a restricted free agent, the Suns may have enough options at forward that Jackson could become expendable if he fails to show improvement on the court and continues to make headlines off of it.
Kevin Durant Out For Game 1, “Unlikely” For Game 2
The Warriors will have to open the Western Conference Finals against the Trail Blazers without their leading postseason scorer, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
A source tells Shelburne that Kevin Durant will miss at least Game 1 of the series on Tuesday. The star forward, who is battling a calf strain, won’t be re-evaluated until Thursday, so he’s also considered “unlikely” to play in Game 2, which is scheduled for that night, per Shelburne.
Durant’s injury isn’t expected to be a long-term ailment, so there’s an expectation that he’ll be able to return to the court at some point during this series. Still, if he’s unable to suit up for the first two games, it’ll be a huge opportunity for the Blazers to try to steal a game in Oakland before heading back to the Moda Center.
Of course, the Warriors showed in Game 6 of the Western Semifinals against Houston that they’re still a force to be reckoned with even without Durant in their lineup. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined for 60 points in that game and Andre Iguodala had five steals and five 3-pointers as Golden State eliminated the Rockets on the road.
Michael Porter Jr. Cleared, Expects To Play In Summer League
The Nuggets earned a No. 2 seed and advanced to Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals this season without any contributions from their 2018 first-round pick, Michael Porter Jr., who missed the season due to a back injury. However, Porter said today that he has been medically cleared and expects to suit up for Summer League action in July, as Sean Keeler of The Denver Post details.
“My back doesn’t hurt anymore, and I feel good,” Porter told reporters on Monday. “Really, I want to show that I’m back, I’m feeling good, I’m ready to play, and everything’s good.”
Viewed as a potential top-five talent in the 2018 draft class, Porter slipped to No. 14 overall due to health concerns. He previously underwent surgery to repair herniated disks in his back, and suffered from hip spasms in the spring leading up to the draft.
If they expect Porter to be healthy and ready to go for the 2019/20 season, the Nuggets could have some additional roster flexibility this offseason. Trey Lyles, for instance, is facing restricted free agency, but Denver may not aggressively attempt to re-sign him if the club anticipates Porter being a part of the frontcourt rotation next season.
Still, while this is a positive first step for the former lottery pick, he still a ways to go. The next step will be the Nuggets giving him the green light to participate in Summer League, and seeing how he responds.
Cavaliers Notes: Beilein, Howard, Gansey
The Cavaliers‘ head coaching search came to an end today and reached a surprising resolution, as longtime University of Michigan head coach John Beilein will make the jump to the NBA, having agreed to a five-year deal with Cleveland.
While we hadn’t heard word of the Cavs’ interest in Beilein before today, he interviewed with the club early last week in Ann Arbor and then spoke to owner Dan Gilbert face-to-face on Friday, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. As Fedor explains, the two sides agreed to keep those talks quiet out of respect for the university.
Meanwhile, Joe Vardon of The Athletic suggests (via Twitter) that Gilbert’s involvement in the process with Beilein was a good sign that the Cavaliers were serious about the Wolverines’ coach. According to Vardon, at least four other head coaching candidates who interviewed for the job didn’t meet with the Cavs’ owner.
Here’s more on the Cavs’ hiring on Beilein:
- According to Fedor, it wouldn’t be a surprise if one of the candidates the Cavaliers interviewed for their head coaching position becomes Beilein’s associate head coach. Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press notes (via Twitter) that Juwan Howard, who met with the Cavs, was viewed as a candidate to become Beilein’s lead assistant if he had ended up with the Pistons last spring.
- A source who spoke to Fedor pointed to Beilein’s ability to develop and mold young players as a key reason why the Cavaliers are hiring him. “He takes players right out of high school and turns them into lottery picks,” the source told Fedor, who cites Tim Hardaway Jr. as one Michigan player who wasn’t a highly sought-after recruit but ended up being drafted in the first round.
- Cavaliers assistant GM Mike Gansey, who played for Beilein at West Virginia 15 years ago, was always a fan of the coach’s abilities as a player development specialist and an offensive tactician, sources tell Mitch Lawrence of Sporting News (Twitter link).
- The Cavs like Beilein’s offensive system, which is predicated on outside shooting, ball movement, and constant motion, writes Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net. As Amico outlines, the team views that system as one that can succeed even without star players.
Cavaliers Hire John Beilein As Head Coach
11:11am: The Cavaliers have officially named Beilein their new head coach, with general manager Koby Altman indicating in a statement that the decision came after a “deep and thorough” search.
“Following the end of [our] interviews, it became clear to us that Coach Beilein was the right choice and best fit for our franchise,” Altman said. “John is one of the most accomplished and innovative basketball minds and leaders in the entire game. He has a unique ability to create an outstanding culture that will promote the development of young players and provide a solid structure to the entire program; not to mention the fact that John Beilein wins everywhere he goes.”
7:46am: The Cavaliers have picked a head coach, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that the team has reached a deal with Michigan’s John Beilein. The two sides have agreed to a five-year contract, per Wojnarowski.
It’s a surprising conclusion to a lengthy head coaching search which saw the Cavs focused primarily on NBA assistants. The club reportedly interviewed nearly a dozen other candidates, most of whom are currently members of NBA staffs, including Ettore Messina (Spurs), David Vanterpool (Trail Blazers), Alex Jensen (Jazz), and many others.
[RELATED: 2019 NBA Head Coaching Search Tracker]
Instead of going with one of those options though, Cleveland will dip into the college ranks for Beilein, who informed Michigan’s administration on Monday morning of his decision to make the leap to the NBA, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Woj adds that discussions between Beilein and the Cavs escalated over the weekend before they reached an agreement on Sunday.
Beilein, a veteran NCAA coach who had stops at a number of other schools – including West Virginia, Richmond, and Canisius – before arriving at Michigan, has a career college record of 754-425 (.640). With the Wolverines, that mark is 278-150 (.650). Although he didn’t win an NCAA championship at Michigan, he led the team to appearances in the title game in 2013 and 2018.
Beilein interviewed last spring for the Pistons’ head coaching job and also talked to the Magic, but ultimately decided to stick with the Wolverines. It appears his interest in the NBA was legit though, and now he’ll get the opportunity to reunite with Cavaliers assistant general manager Mike Gansey. As Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports observes (via Twitter), Gansey played under Beilein at West Virginia from 2004-06.
In his full story on Beilein’s hiring, Wojnarowski explains that the Cavaliers have been using the term “culture-driver” internally as they weighed the possibility of bringing in the Michigan head coach, who is considered one of the best teachers in college basketball. From Beilein’s perspective, the opportunity to lead a Cavs rebuild – with Collin Sexton already on the roster and a top-six draft pick set to join him – was appealing, says Woj.
The Cavaliers, who become the fourth team to hire a new head coach this offseason, intend to surround Beilein with an “experienced staff of NBA assistants,” sources tell Wojnarowski.
Cleveland had been on the lookout for a new head coach for over a month, having mutually agreed to part ways with Larry Drew on April 11.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.