Wolves Notes: Rosas, Front Office, Draft Workouts
Promising to question the norm with everything, new Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas was introduced at a news conference on Monday while flanked by owner Glen Taylor and CEO Ethan Casson, writes Michael Rand of the Star Tribune.
Rosas was noncommittal about the status of interim head coach Ryan Saunders and general manager Scott Layden, but did say that he was looking forward to sitting down and visiting with them and talking about the organization.
As for the roster itself, Rosas stressed player development and being creative in maximizing talent. As an example, Rosas spoke about Andrew Wiggins, saying that the team is going to work him day in and day out, and that he still has a tremendous upside.
There’s more from Minneapolis this evening:
- According to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News, the Timberwolves hosted draft workouts for forward Jordan Murphy (Minnesota) and guard Jordan Geist (Missouri) on Tuesday.
- Per Britt Robson of The Athletic, it is widely expected that Saunders will progress from interim to official head coach, and that Layden will be retained in some fashion.
- In addition to his basketball credentials, Rosas emerged as the favorite for the top job in Minnesota for his ability to have a personal connection with Taylor, something the owner covets in his front office employees, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
And-Ones: Turnover, Lottery, Mayo, Refs
As Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype notes, we’re upon the time of the year when the NBA’s coaching carousel is in full swing. And while this time of the year is exciting for new hires like Monty Williams, it’s also a sobering reminder of how NBA head coaches have the highest coaching turnover rate among the four major sports leagues over the past 20 years.
On average, a new head coach is hired in the NBA every 2.4 seasons as opposed to every 2.6 seasons (NHL), 3.1 seasons (MLB) and 3.4 seasons (NFL) in the other three leagues. Ironically, but not altogether unexpected, the teams with less coaching turnover actually have significantly higher records (e.g. see the Spurs and head coach Gregg Popovich).
On the other end of the spectrum, the Nets, Pistons and Knicks all have an NBA-high 12 coaching changes in the last 20 years and all have a winning percentage below .500 during that span. The one outlier is the Lakers, who have a winning percentage above .500 over the last 20 years despite the fact that they’ll be on their eighth coach this summer.
The entire article regarding the study is worth a read, and once you’re finished, check out some more odds and ends from the basketball world below:
- Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz of ESPN take a look at what’s at stake for every team in next week’s lottery, including each team’s likely picks, odds and questions for the teams in the lottery, traded picks and more.
- After having recently averaged 22.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in a Taiwanese league, former NBA guard O.J. Mayo signed a deal in China with Hunan Jinjian, per Orazio Cauchi of Sportando.
- In an article from The Associated Press, it was relayed that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver wants half of all new referees joining the league to be women — and he would like to see teams hire female coaches, too.
Southeast Notes: Wizards, Hawks, Hornets
There have been no recent updates on the Wizards‘ search for a new head of basketball operations, leading to speculation that Washington is waiting to make a run at current Nuggets president of basketball ops Tim Connelly.
While Connelly’s Nuggets are still alive in the playoffs, David Aldridge of The Athletic argues that if Connelly is the Wizards’ man, they should go after him now. As Aldridge points out, active postseason runs didn’t stop the Timberwolves from hiring Gersson Rosas, or the Suns from naming Monty Williams their new head coach.
It’s not entirely clear if the Wizards are still targeting Connelly, but Aldridge hears from several sources that Denver’s head of basketball ops would be “delighted” to run the Wizards. A previous report referred to the Wizards’ open position as Connelly’s “dream job.” Connelly is still under contract with the Nuggets, but if the Wizards make an offer that significantly exceeds his current salary – which Aldridge says is “just north” of $2MM per year – then he could go to Denver’s ownership in good faith and ask for the opportunity to run his hometown team.
So far, the Wizards have interviewed Danny Ferry, Tommy Sheppard, Troy Weaver, and Rosas for the front office vacancy, Aldridge confirms.
As we wait to see what the Wizards do to replace Ernie Grunfeld, here’s more from around the Southeast…
- The first priority for the Wizards‘ next head of basketball operations will be establishing a culture of accountability, according to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post, who provides a detailed account on how such a culture has been lacking in D.C. for years.
- It has been a busy week of pre-draft workouts for the Hawks, who have brought in prospects like Duke forward Javin DeLaurier, Kansas guard Quentin Grimes, and Gonzaga guard Zach Norvell Jr. on Wednesday and Thursday, and plan to bring in several more on Friday. According to the team, the full list of prospects to work out during that three-day stretch for Atlanta also includes Phil Booth, Reggie Perry, Justin Simon, Max Strus, Lagerald Vick, Ahmed Hill, Skylar Mays, Markis McDuffie, Dylan Osetkowski, Tyler Cook, CJ Elleby, Terance Mann, Matt Mooney, Tanor Ngom, and Myles Powell.
- The Hornets‘ pre-draft workout schedule has also been full this week. Donta Hall (Alabama), Nick Perkins (Buffalo), Kerwin Roach Jr. (Texas), Kenny Williams (UNC), Ahmed Hill, and Markis McDuffie auditioned for the team on Wednesday, while Shaqquan Aaron (USC), Kyle Alexander (Tennessee), Kavell Bigby-Williams (LSU), and Caleb Martin (Nevada) were among those who did so on Thursday.
- In his latest mailbag, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer discusses Jeremy Lamb‘s free agent value, potential backup plans for the Hornets if Kemba Walker leaves, and much more.
Knicks Notes: Zion, Kyrie, Kemba, Young Players
While Knicks head coach David Fizdale didn’t name the Duke forward specifically, he made it clear during an appearance this week on The Dan Patrick Show that if his team lands the No. 1 overall pick in next week’s draft lottery, Zion Williamson will be the choice.
“If we win the lottery, do we know who we’re taking?” Fizdale said, per Marc Berman of The New York Post. “Yes.”
Of course, if the Knicks do land that first overall selection, speculation about a possible Anthony Davis trade would only increase during the weeks leading up to the draft. Fizdale wasn’t asked about that scenario during his appearance on Patrick’s show, but ESPN’s Kevin Pelton (Insider-only link) took a look this week at whether or not it would make sense to seriously consider moving Williamson if the Knicks grab that No. 1 spot.
In Pelton’s view, trading Williamson in a package for Davis would give the Knicks the best chance to win in the short term, but it’s unclear how well-suited the rest of the roster will be to contending immediately. Since Zion could be a part of a contending team in New York for years to come, Pelton would be inclined to hang onto him if the Knicks are lucky enough to draft him.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Now that Kyrie Irving‘s Celtics have been officially eliminated from the postseason, the Knicks are poised to be a part of the July conversation about the point guard’s potential free agent destinations, as Marc Berman of The New York Post details.
- Sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv that some members of the Knicks’ organization on high on another free agent point guard, Kemba Walker. However, that interest likely wouldn’t matter much if Kevin Durant commits to New York and wants to team up with Irving, says Begley. According to Begley, some opposing executives believe that the Knicks will be willing to pursue any player Durant wants to play with if it ensures that KD will choose New York.
- The Knicks will send their assistant coaches on the road in the coming days to work out with young players like Allonzo Trier, Mitchell Robinson, and Dennis Smith Jr., sources tell Begley. Kevin Knox and head coach David Fizdale have already met up for some offseason work, as the team has exhibited an increased focus on developing its prospects.
Kevin Durant Expected To Miss Rest Of Rockets Series
After undergoing an MRI today on his injured right calf, Warriors forward Kevin Durant has been diagnosed with a “mild” calf strain, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
Based on the team’s initial fears when Durant left Wednesday’s game with a leg injury, that’s positive news. However, Wojnarowski reports that the team’s leading postseason scorer isn’t expected to be re-evaluated until next week.
In other words, while KD may be able to get back into Golden State’s lineup for the Western Conference Finals, the club will likely have to find a way past the Rockets without him, Woj tweets. Game 6 of that series is scheduled to take place on Friday night, with Game 7 happening on Sunday afternoon. The Warriors currently hold a 3-2 lead.
As Anthony Slater of The Athletic notes (via Twitter), Durant has suffered mild calf strains twice during the last two seasons, and has missed a week in each instance. While he’d certainly like to beat that recovery timetable in this scenario, it would be a risk to rush him back before he’s ready.
Despite being down 3-2 in the series, the Rockets now have a huge opportunity to finally get over the hump against the Warriors. Houston has been extremely competitive even in its losses this series, and will have the chance to even up the series at home tomorrow before potentially returning to the Bay Area for a Game 7.
As for the potential impact on the upcoming offseason, Durant’s injury is minor enough that it shouldn’t affect his market at all. But if his absence contributes to a second-round defeat for Golden State, it would be fascinating to see how the early exit might shape the Warriors’ summer.
2019 NBA Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Brooklyn Nets
A long, challenging rebuild began to pay dividends for the Nets in 2018/19, as the team finished sixth in the Eastern Conference, returning to the postseason for the first time since 2015.
With promising young players like Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen, and Rodions Kurucs still on rookie deals and reliable contributors like Spencer Dinwiddie and Joe Harris also locked up for next season, Brooklyn is set up well for the future. But the Nets will have to answer two crucial questions this summer: Will they invest big money in D’Angelo Russell, and will they be able to land a star in free agency?
Here’s where things currently stand for the Nets financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2019:
Guaranteed Salary
- Allen Crabbe ($18,500,000) — Exercised player option
- Spencer Dinwiddie ($10,605,084)
- Joe Harris ($7,666,667)
- Deron Williams ($5,474,787) — Waived via stretch provision
- Caris LeVert ($2,625,718)
- Jarrett Allen ($2,376,840)
- Dzanan Musa ($1,911,600)
- Rodions Kurucs ($1,699,236)
- Total: $50,859,932
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Shabazz Napier ($1,845,301) 1
- Treveon Graham ($1,645,357) 2
- Total: $3,490,658
Restricted Free Agents
- D’Angelo Russell ($9,160,706 qualifying offer / $21,059,094 cap hold): Bird rights
- Rondae Hollis-Jefferson ($3,594,369 qualifying offer / $7,411,071 cap hold): Bird rights
- Theo Pinson ($1,643,842 qualifying offer / $1,643,842 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Alan Williams (two-way qualifying offer / $1,443,842 cap hold): Non-Bird rights 3
- Total: $31,557,849
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
- DeMarre Carroll ($23,100,000): Bird rights
- Jared Dudley ($14,295,000): Bird rights
- Ed Davis ($5,338,800): Non-Bird rights
- No. 17 overall pick ($2,961,000)
- No. 27 overall pick ($1,974,360)
- Total: $47,669,160
Projected Salary Cap: $109,000,000
Projected Tax Line: $132,000,000
Offseason Cap Outlook
- Standard cap room projection: $30.4MM
- For all the talk of the Nets being a player for a maximum-salary free agent, they’d have to shed some money to create enough room for one. This projection takes into account their seven guaranteed salaries, Russell’s cap hold, and the cap holds for their two first-round picks.
- More aggressive cap room projection: $50MM
- If the Nets want to open up more space, waiving-and-stretching Crabbe would be one option, but it might make more sense to trade him, using one of their first-round picks as a sweetener to convince a team to take on his contract. This projection assumes the Nets trade Crabbe along with the No. 17 overall pick without taking back any salary.
- Other scenarios:
- The most aggressive scenario I can envision for the Nets would involve trading Crabbe and both of their two first-round picks while also renouncing Russell’s cap hold. That’s probably not a likely outcome, but it would get Brooklyn all the way up to $71.3MM in space, enough for two maximum contracts.
- If the Nets were to retain their first-round picks and Russell’s cap hold and simply waived-and-stretched Crabbe, their cap room would increase from $30.4MM (our initial projection) to $41.8MM. This would be the simplest way to create a max slot if the team doesn’t want to sacrifice a first-round pick and doesn’t mind spreading out Crabbe’s salary across three years.
- Attaching their No. 27 pick to Crabbe in a trade while retaining Russell’s cap hold and their No. 17 pick would leave the Nets with $49MM in cap room.
Cap Exceptions Available
- Room exception: $4,760,000 4
Footnotes
- Napier’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 10.
- Graham’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 10.
- 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 unlikely event the Nets 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.
Draft Notes: Zion, Norvell, Ponds, Tinkle
There’s a ton at stake this offseason for many of the teams involved in next week’s draft lottery, but there’s plenty at stake for consensus top prospect Zion Williamson as well. As ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, Mike Schmitz, Kevin Pelton, and Bobby Marks outline in an Insider-only article, not every team that has a shot at Williamson would be an ideal fit for him.
In the view of ESPN’s insiders, the Hawks, Mavericks, and Pelicans would be the most preferable landing spots for Williamson. The opportunity to play with up-and-coming play-makers – Trae Young in Atlanta, or Luka Doncic in Dallas – would help unlock Williamson’s potential.
On the other hand, ESPN’s panel doesn’t consider the Lakers, Bulls, and Sixers great fits for Williamson. Spacing is the primary concern for the Lakers and Sixers, and it’s unclear how a pairing with Joel Embiid would work. For the Bulls, Zach LaVine‘s ball dominance and Jim Boylen‘s “outdated” offense are viewed as red flags.
Here are several more draft-related notes:
- Gonzaga sophomore guard Zach Norvell Jr. told reporters today that he intends to keep his name in the 2019 NBA draft, tweets Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. Norvell was one of 66 prospects announced on Wednesday as a 2019 draft combine participant.
- St. John’s guard Shamorie Ponds, another one of those 66, has workouts lined up with the Warriors, Bulls, Kings, Jazz, Celtics, and Mavericks, tweets Michael Scotto of The Athletic. Ponds is ranked as the No. 51 prospect on ESPN’s big board.
- After working out for Utah and Philadelphia, Oregon State forward Tres Tinkle has auditions this week with the Raptors, Celtics, and Hornets, and will work out for the Hawks next week, writes Nick Daschel of The Oregonian.
- After turning in an impressive performance at the Portsmouth Invitational, forward Jarrell Brantley (Charleston) has workouts lined up with 10 teams, including the Celtics, Nets, Timberwolves, Hornets, and Clippers, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
Celtics Notes: Irving, Rozier, Davis
The Celtics understood the chance they were taking with Kyrie Irving when they traded for him two years ago, writes Jeff Goodman of Stadium. Irving wanted to leave a successful situation in Cleveland because he was tired of playing a supporting role to LeBron James. Boston’s front office knew Irving had a reputation that might make him a tough fit, but was willing to accept the risk.
“Doesn’t want to listen to anybody,” a Cavaliers source told Goodman. “I’ve been around more selfish guys, but when you add up those three – moody, immature and tough to coach – he doesn’t have a leg to stand on.”
There’s speculation that Irving’s time in Boston might be done as he gets ready to opt out of a $21.3MM salary and test the free agent market. If he leaves, his final game in a Celtics uniform will be a 6 for 21 shooting performance in a 25-point loss in Milwaukee.
“Everyone respects his talent,” a Celtics player told Goodman earlier this season, “but he’s hard to play with. It’s all about him.”
There’s more today out of Boston:
- A breakup would be best for both Irving and the Celtics, contends Ben Golliver of The Washington Post. Boston needed to add a star when president of basketball operations Danny Ainge pulled the trigger on the Cleveland deal, but it hasn’t worked out the way he hoped. Facing his first playoff test with the Celtics, Irving wilted badly, playing well in just one of the five games against the Bucks. On top of that, he teammates seemed to take on his personality, pointing fingers at each other throughout the season and not fighting back when things got tough in the playoffs.
- Restricted free agent Terry Rozier didn’t hold back in addressing the issues that affected the team, relays Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. “I sacrificed the most out of anybody,” said Rozier, who was moved to a backup role after a stellar performance in last year’s playoffs. “I’m a top point guard in this league. I feel like it’s a fresh start, whether I’m here or whether I’m gone.” Rozier admitted that coach Brad Stevens was in a difficult position “dealing with all these guys with attitudes” and said he saw warning signs on the first day of training camp.
- The Celtics’ offseason focus will turn not only to Irving, but also to Anthony Davis trade talks, writes Bobby Marks of ESPN. Boston was considered to be the favorite to land Davis once the trade deadline passed, but Marks notes that two important changes have occurred since then. David Griffin has taken over as head of basketball operations in New Orleans and will make an effort to get Davis to reconsider his trade demand, and Irving, who would be a selling point to get Davis to sign a long-term deal in Boston, may be on the way out.
Lakers Will Interview Frank Vogel Today
The Lakers are wasting no time resuming their head coaching search after negotiations with Tyronn Lue fell apart, according to Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Frank Vogel, former head coach with the Magic and Pacers, will interview for the position later today.
Vogel was one of three new candidates mentioned Wednesday after the Lakers and Lue both announced that negotiations had ceased. The others were Mike Woodson and Lionel Hollins, who will presumably both get interviews soon.
[Related: 2019 NBA Head Coaching Search Tracker]
Vogel compiled a 304-291 record in two seasons in Orlando and five-plus seasons in Indiana. He took the Pacers to the playoffs five times, including back-to-back trips to the Eastern Conference finals in 2013 and 2014. He was considered a strong candidate to be lead assistant if things had worked out with Lue.
Based on the prior round of interviews, Vogel is expected to meet with controlling owner Jeanie Buss, GM Rob Pelinka, co-owners Joey Buss (who runs the G League South Bay Lakers) and Jesse Buss (assistant GM and director of scouting), Chief Operating Officer Tim Harris, director of special projects Linda Rambis and senior advisor Kurt Rambis.
Fallout From Failed Negotiations Between Lakers, Lue
Contract length was the main point of contention that prevented Tyronn Lue from becoming the Lakers’ next coach, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. L.A. was offering Lue $18MM over three years, which would line up with LeBron James‘ remaining commitment to the team. Lue was “insulted” that the Lakers viewed him as just a coach for LeBron and was seeking a five-year deal.
A source tells Shelburne that GM Rob Pelinka didn’t believe negotiations would collapse because Lue doesn’t have interest from any other teams (Twitter link). However, the Cavaliers still owe Lue about $10MM and he didn’t want to risk losing money by taking an offer that he considered below his market value. He also believes his experience coaching at a championship level warrants a longer commitment.
There’s more this morning on the Lue situation:
- Talks also broke down because of the Lakers’ insistence on having the final say on Lue’s assistant coaches, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times. Lue was willing to make former Pacers and Magic head coach Frank Vogel his top assistant, sources tell Stein, but management wanted him to put Jason Kidd on the staff as well after he performed well in an interview. Stein also reports that two advisers to Lakers owner Jeanie Buss feared that the team would be giving James too much power by hiring Lue.
- Former Lakers player Kurt Rambis, who now serves as an adviser, has expanded his power in the organization and is playing a critical role in the coaching search, relays Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
- Buss made a mistake by letting Pelinka assume too much power after team president Magic Johnson resigned, contends Bill Oram of The Athletic. Lue was the only available candidate who has experience coaching James and was willing to sign up for another round, Oram notes, and Pelinka couldn’t get a deal done. He states that Buss should have found someone to serve as president of basketball operations and let him hire a GM and conduct the coaching search. Instead, she trusted the organization to Kobe Bryant‘s former agent.
- The new coaching candidates — Vogel, Mike Woodson and Lionel Hollins, won’t inspire Lakers fans or help to satisfy James, who has just two years left before he can opt out of his contract, Oram adds. He also wonders how much ineptitude James is willing to put up with before he demands to be traded to a better-run organization.
- Lue’s plans for the Lakers would have looked very similar to how he utilized James in Cleveland, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Lue believes LeBron is most effective in a structured offense where he has an order of options to follow depending on how the defense reacts. Under Luke Walton, the Lakers used more of a random approach where four players had the option to push the ball up court, while the others were instructed to fill lanes on the fast break. Lue told management he would have arranged the minutes for James and Brandon Ingram so that one was always on the court.