Cavaliers Notes: Messina, Udoka, Fernandez
The Cavaliers‘ meeting with Spurs assistant Ettore Messina is taking place today, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link).
As we detailed last week, Messina will become the second assistant on San Antonio’s staff to interview for Cleveland’s head coaching job this spring, joining Ime Udoka. Udoke “came across as very sharp” during his interview on Sunday, Fedor writes in a Cleveland.com mailbag.
As Fedor explains in that same mailbag, the Cavaliers appear unlikely to interview Becky Hammon, a third assistant from the Spurs’ staff. In Fedor’s view, that’s because Messina and Udoka are lead assistants in San Antonio and are more ready to take the next step to a head coaching role. It’s the same reason Fedor believes Cleveland is unlikely to hire Jordi Fernandez, who is further down in the pecking order on the Nuggets’ staff than most of the other candidates the Cavs are interviewing.
Here’s more on the Cavs:
- While Fernandez may not end up being the Cavaliers’ choice for head coach, it would make for a good story if he is. Joe Vardon of The Athletic explains why, with an in-depth look at Fernandez’s coaching journey and his deep ties to Ohio.
- Within his mailbag, Fedor observes that the Cavaliers will have limited resources available to add pieces to their roster this offseason. However, if they’re able to acquire outside help, the Cavs need to prioritize shooting and/or rim protection, according to Fedor.
- Sam Vecenie of The Athletic examines the Cavaliers’ roster situation and potential draft needs, outlining why he thinks the team should draft R.J. Barrett over Ja Morant if given the opportunity.
Full List Of 2019 NBA Draft Combine Participants
The NBA has revealed its list of 66 players who have been invited to next week’s draft combine in Chicago and who are expected to attend. The combine will take place from May 15-19.
While a small handful of top prospects often skip the event, that won’t be the case this year — Zion Williamson and Ja Morant are on the league’s list of 66 names, along with R.J. Barrett, Cam Reddish, Jarrett Culver, Darius Garland, De’Andre Hunter, and many more. Of course, those top prospects may not participate fully in all of the workouts and scrimmages at the combine.
A few more names figure to be added to this list, as a select number of the 40 draft-eligible prospects participating in the G League Elite Camp earlier in the week are expected to receive invites to the combine.
Here’s the full list of 66 names announced by the NBA today, in alphabetical order:
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker, G, Virginia Tech (sophomore)
- R.J. Barrett, G/F, Duke (freshman)
- Charles Bassey, C, Western Kentucky (freshman)
- Darius Bazley, F, Princeton HS (OH) (N/A)
- Bol Bol, C, Oregon (freshman)
- Jordan Bone, G, Tennessee (junior)
- Brian Bowen, F, USA (born 1998)
- Ky Bowman, G, Boston College (junior)
- Ignas Brazdeikis, F, Michigan (freshman)
- Moses Brown, C, UCLA (freshman)
- Brandon Clarke, F, Gonzaga (junior)
- Nicolas Claxton, F, Georgia (sophomore)
- Jarrett Culver, G/F, Texas Tech (sophomore)
- Luguentz Dort, G, Arizona State (freshman)
- Devon Dotson, G, Kansas (freshman)
- Carsen Edwards, G, Purdue (junior)
- Bruno Fernando, F, Maryland (sophomore)
- Daniel Gafford, F/C, Arkansas (sophomore)
- Darius Garland, G, Vanderbilt (freshman)
- Quentin Grimes, G, Kansas (freshman)
- Kyle Guy, G, Virginia (junior)
- Jaylen Hands, G, UCLA (sophomore)
- Jaxson Hayes, F/C, Texas (freshman)
- Tyler Herro, G, Kentucky (freshman)
- Jaylen Hoard, F, Wake Forest (freshman)
- Talen Horton-Tucker, G, Iowa State (freshman)
- De’Andre Hunter, F, Virginia (sophomore)
- Ty Jerome, G, Virginia (junior)
- Cameron Johnson, G, UNC (senior)
- Keldon Johnson, F, Kentucky (freshman)
- Mfiondu Kabengele, C, Florida State (sophomore)
- Louis King, F, Oregon (freshman)
- Romeo Langford, G, Indiana (freshman)
- Dedric Lawson, F, Kansas (junior)
- Jalen Lecque, G, Brewster Academy (NH) (N/A)
- Nassir Little, F, UNC (freshman)
- Charles Matthews, G, Michigan (junior)
- Jalen McDaniels, F, San Diego State (sophomore)
- Ja Morant, G, Murray State (sophomore)
- Zach Norvell Jr., G, Gonzaga (sophomore)
- Jaylen Nowell, G, Washington (sophomore)
- Jordan Nwora, F, Louisville (sophomore)
- Chuma Okeke, F, Auburn (sophomore)
- Update: Okeke has elected to skip the combine.
- KZ Okpala, F, Stanford (sophomore)
- Miye Oni, G/F, Yale (junior)
- Eric Paschall, F, Villanova (senior)
- Shamorie Ponds, G, St. John’s (junior)
- Jordan Poole, G, Michigan (sophomore)
- Jontay Porter, F, Missouri (sophomore)
- Kevin Porter Jr, G, USC (freshman)
- Neemias Queta, C, Utah State (freshman)
- Cam Reddish, F, Duke (freshman)
- Naz Reid, C, LSU (freshman)
- Isaiah Roby, F, Nebraska (junior)
- Luka Samanic, F, Croatia (born 2000)
- Admiral Schofield, G, Tennessee (senior)
- Simisola Shittu, F, Vanderbilt (freshman)
- Killian Tillie, F, Gonzaga (junior)
- PJ Washington, F, Kentucky (sophomore)
- Tremont Waters, G, LSU (sophomore)
- Quinndary Weatherspoon, G, Missippi State (senior)
- Coby White, G, UNC (freshman)
- Kris Wilkes, G, UCLA (sophomore)
- Grant Williams, F, Tennessee (junior)
- Zion Williamson, F, Duke (freshman)
- Dylan Windler, G, Belmont (senior)
Rui Hachimura (Gonzaga) and Matisse Thybulle (Washington) are among the potential first-round picks who aren’t on the NBA’s list of combine participants, as noted by Jeremy Woo of SI.com and ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Twitter links).
J.J. Hickson To Play In Puerto Rico
Longtime NBA big man J.J. Hickson will resume his professional career in Puerto Rico. As Nicola Lupo of Sportando relays, Puerto Rican club Leones de Ponce announced (via Instagram) that it has signed Hickson to a contract and he’s set to make his debut for the team.
The 19th overall pick in the 2008 draft, Hickson appeared in 534 regular season games for the Cavaliers, Kings, Trail Blazers, Nuggets, and Wizards from 2008-16, averaging 9.5 PPG and 6.8 RPG in 22.2 minutes per contest for his career. The 30-year-old’s last appearance in the NBA came for Washington on April 13, 2016.
Since 2016, Hickson has continued his career in international leagues, suiting up for multiple teams in China and for Champville SC in Lebanon. Before signing with Leones de Ponce, the former North Carolina State had yet to play anywhere during the 2018/19 season.
NBA Announces 2019 Draft Lottery Representatives
With the NBA’s 2019 draft lottery set to take place next Tuesday night, the league has now officially confirmed who will represent each team on stage and in the lottery room on May 14.
While there are only 14 picks in the lottery – including four determined by the drawings of ping pong balls – there will be 15 team representatives in attendance due to various trades. The full breakdown of each club’s odds in this year’s lottery can be found right here.
[RELATED: Four More-Likely-Than-Not Draft Lottery Outcomes]
Here’s the full list of 2019 lottery representatives, with each team sending two reps — one will be in the lottery room during the actual draw, while the other will be on stage for the broadcast portion of the event.
- New York Knicks
- On stage: Patrick Ewing (former player)
- Lottery room: Allan Houston (special assistant to the GM)
- Top-four odds: 52.1%
- On stage: Patrick Ewing (former player)
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- On stage: Nick Gilbert (son of team owner)
- Lottery room: Brock Aller (senior director of basketball operations)
- Top-four odds: 52.1%
- Phoenix Suns
- On stage: Deandre Ayton
- Lottery room: Jim Pitman (CFO)
- Top-four odds: 52.1%
- On stage: Deandre Ayton
- Chicago Bulls
- On stage: Horace Grant (special advisor to president/COO)
- Lottery room: Joey Reinsdorf (son of president/COO)
- Top-four odds: 48.0%
- Atlanta Hawks
- On stage: Jami Gertz (co-owner)
- Lottery room: Michelle Leftwich (VP, salary cap administration)
- Top-four odds: 42.1%
- Note: The Hawks will also land a second lottery pick if the Mavericks’ pick doesn’t move into the top four.
- Washington Wizards
- On stage: Raul Fernandez (vice chairman)
- Lottery room: Tommy Sheppard (senior VP of basketball operations)
- Top-four odds: 37.2%
- New Orleans Pelicans
- On stage: Alvin Gentry (head coach)
- Lottery room: David Griffin (executive VP of basketball operations)
- Top-four odds: 26.3%
- On stage: Alvin Gentry (head coach)
- Memphis Grizzlies
- On stage: Elliot Perry (minority owner / director of player support)
- Lottery room: Zach Kleiman (executive VP of basketball operations)
- Top-four odds: 26.3%
- Note: The Grizzlies will lose their pick if it falls outside of the top eight (42.6% chance).
- Dallas Mavericks
- On stage: Cynthia Marshall (CEO)
- Lottery room: Keith Grant (assistant GM)
- Top-four odds: 26.3%
- Note: The Mavericks will lose their pick if it doesn’t move into the top four.
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- On stage: Gersson Rosas (president of basketball operations)
- Lottery room: Brad Ruiter (VP of communications)
- Top-four odds: 13.9%
- On stage: Gersson Rosas (president of basketball operations)
- Los Angeles Lakers
- On stage: Kyle Kuzma
- Lottery room: Rob Pelinka (GM)
- Top-four odds: 9.4%
- On stage: Kyle Kuzma
- Charlotte Hornets
- On stage: James Borrego (head coach)
- Lottery room: Buzz Peterson (assistant GM)
- Top-four odds: 4.8%
- Miami Heat
- On stage: Alonzo Mourning (VP, player programs)
- Lottery room: Andy Elisburg (senior VP of basketball operations / GM)
- Top-four odds: 4.8%
- Boston Celtics
- On stage: Rich Gotham (president)
- Lottery room: Mike Zarren (assistant GM)
- Top-four odds: 3.8%
- Note: The Celtics will receive the Grizzlies’ pick if it falls outside of the top eight and the Kings’ pick if it falls between 2-14.
- Philadelphia 76ers
- On stage: Chris Heck (president)
- Lottery room: Ian Hillman (VP, strategy & analytics)
- Top-four odds: 1.0%
- Note: The Sixers will only receive a pick if the Kings’ first-rounder jumps up to No. 1.
- On stage: Chris Heck (president)
Malcolm Brogdon Expected To Return For Game 5
Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon, who last appeared in a game on March 15, will be listed on the injury report as probable for Game 5 of the team’s series against Boston, and is expected to play, as Malika Andrews of ESPN.com relays (via Twitter).
According to Andrews (via Twitter), Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer indicated that Brogdon will be on a minutes restriction and will come off the bench in his return. Brogdon was a fixture in the starting lineup before his injury, but he’ll be eased back into action in the midst of the postseason, with Nikola Mirotic remaining in Milwaukee’s starting five for now.
While Brogdon may have to shake off some rust, getting him back in the rotation could be big for the Bucks, who have built a 3-1 lead over the Celtics even without one of their most reliable contributors available. The 26-year-old was a key ball-handler and floor-spacer for the club during the regular season, averaging 15.6 PPG with an ultra-efficient .505/.426/.928 shooting line in 64 games (28.6 MPG).
A minor plantar fascia tear in his right foot sidelined Brogdon for the final few weeks of the regular season and most of the first two rounds of the playoffs. With the Bucks in a good position to finish off the Celtics – either tonight or in an eventual Game 6 or 7 – Brogdon may have an opportunity to make a more significant impact in the next round.
2019 NBA Offseason Salary Cap Digest: San Antonio Spurs
After a tumultuous offseason that included the departures of three longtime core players – Kawhi Leonard, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker – the revamped Spurs did what they always do and earned a playoff spot for the 22nd consecutive year. The current roster may not have the same upside as the title-winning squads led by Tim Duncan, but with Derrick White on the rise and Dejounte Murray on the mend, there’s still room for San Antonio to improve.
Here’s where things currently stand for the Spurs financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2019:
Guaranteed Salary
- DeMar DeRozan ($27,739,975)
- LaMarcus Aldridge ($26,000,000)
- Patty Mills ($12,428,571)
- Davis Bertans ($7,000,000)
- Marco Belinelli ($5,846,154)
- Pau Gasol ($5,074,856) — Waived
- Jakob Poeltl ($3,754,886)
- Bryn Forbes ($2,875,000)
- Lonnie Walker ($2,760,480)
- Dejounte Murray ($2,321,735)
- Derrick White ($1,948,080)
- Chimezie Metu ($1,416,852)
- Total: $99,166,589
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- None
Restricted Free Agents
- None
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
- Rudy Gay ($13,113,360): Early Bird rights
- Dante Cunningham ($2,984,400): Non-Bird rights
- No. 19 overall pick ($2,686,440)
- Nikola Milutinov ($2,033,160) 1
- No. 29 overall pick ($1,947,960)
- Joffrey Lauvergne ($1,618,486): Non-Bird rights 2
- Donatas Motiejunas ($1,618,486): Non-Bird rights
- Quincy Pondexter ($1,618,486): Non-Bird rights
- Matt Costello ($1,443,842): Non-Bird rights 2
- Darrun Hilliard ($1,443,842): Non-Bird rights 2
- Ben Moore ($1,443,842): Non-Bird rights
- Total: $31,952,304
Projected Salary Cap: $109,000,000
Projected Tax Line: $132,000,000
Offseason Cap Outlook
- Realistic cap room projection: $0
- Barring a cost-cutting move or two, the Spurs project to have $103.8MM on their books for 11 guaranteed salaries plus two first-round picks. Working as an over-the-cap team and retaining their mid-level and bi-annual exceptions makes more sense than renouncing those exceptions for a mere $5.2MM in potential cap room. If they want to re-sign Gay, going under the cap becomes even less realistic.
Cap Exceptions Available
- Mid-level exception: $9,246,000 3
Footnotes
- Milutinov was the 26th overall pick in the 2015 draft. His cap hold (the equivalent to the 26th overall pick in the 2019 draft) will remain on the Spurs’ books unless the team receives permission to remove it, which would ensure Milutinov won’t be signed in 2019/20.
- Lauvergne’s, Costello’s, and Hilliard’s cap holds remain on the Spurs’ books because they haven’t been renounced after going unsigned in 2018/19. They can’t be used in a sign-and-trade deal.
- This is a projected value. In the unlikely event the Spurs risk going into the tax, they may forfeit the bi-annual exception and have to use the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5,711,000) rather than the full mid-level exception.
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.
Kyler’s Latest: Kawhi, Irving, Durant, AD, Pacers
Echoing what we heard from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski earlier this week, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders writes that the Raptors are optimistic about having a legit shot to re-sign Kawhi Leonard.
While they’ll face competition from the Clippers – and likely a handful of other teams – the Raptors feel as if they’ve done all they can to gain Leonard’s trust and to make sure he understands what the future could look like if he returns, according to Kyler. That doesn’t mean Leonard won’t take meetings with other teams, or that he’s a lock to re-sign, but Toronto is at least viewed as one of the two frontrunners for the star forward, along with the Clips.
In his latest article, Kyler explores a few other free agent situations from around the NBA, so let’s round up some of the highlights…
- The Celtics still appear committed to a future with Kyrie Irving, and the idea that Irving and Kevin Durant have already decided to join the Knicks has been shot down by sources close to Irving and to the Knicks, writes Kyler. Still, Kyler notes that most league insiders believe Irving will explore his options on the open market in July, even beyond the Celtics and Knicks.
- Despite all the Knicks-related chatter, Kyler’s sources are adamant that Durant isn’t talking about his future beyond this season. However, Kyler points out that was also the case in 2016, and all of that year’s KD-to-the-Warriors whispers ultimately came to fruition.
- New Pelicans head of basketball operations David Griffin has said he’ll try to get Anthony Davis – and agent Rich Paul – to buy into a future in New Orleans before seriously exploring the trade market for Davis. According to Kyler, Griffin has made it clear “both publicly and privately” that he wants a long-term commitment from Davis if he’s going to retain him. That probably means that the only two realistic outcomes for AD this offseason are a super-max extension or a trade.
- There’s a growing belief in agent circles that the Clippers, Nets, and Pacers will be more attractive free agent destinations this summer than many league observers may have expected, writes Kyler. L.A. and Brooklyn are more likely than Indiana to land a max free agent, but the Pacers are still worth watching and could also be a player in the Mike Conley sweepstakes if the Grizzlies look to move him, Kyler notes.
Joe Tsai Talks Decision To Buy Nets Over Rockets
Joe Tsai bought 49% of the Nets last year and has the rights to assume majority control of the team in 2021. The billionaire businessman had an opportunity to instead make a play for the Rockets, but he ultimately took the deal with Mikhail Prokhorov because of his love for the City of New York, as he tells Paul Carcaterra of US Lacrosse Magazine (h/t Brian Lewis of the New York Post).
“At the same time the Nets were up for sale…the owners of the Houston Rockets also put the team up for sale. We thought about it, but we decided to put the focus on the Nets because I just couldn’t imagine myself spending too much [time] in Houston,” said Tsai. “No knock on Houston, but I love New York. And owning a sports team, especially in a major league like the NBA, it’s like owning a nice apartment on Park Avenue: The value’s not going to go down.
“From a business standpoint, it made a lot of sense. Then, I was looking at the upside. The NBA and basketball is a very, very big sport globally. Everywhere, people love the NBA, especially in China. I was seeing how the people loved the sport in China. Also, in Southeast Asia, in the Philippines, they love basketball. Indonesia. Even Mexico; that’s going to be a big market. So there’s a lot of international expansion opportunities. So it all made sense.”
Tsai, who is the executive vice chairman of online retailer Alibaba, believes the players and owners each receive a “fair share” of the revenue in the NBA. He also views the league’s TV deal – specifically how the revenue is split evenly between all 30 teams – as a major positive, calling it “kind of a socialist system.”
“So as we peeled through the materials, the more we looked at it —this is really more specific to the NBA — the NBA is really interesting from a business standpoint. You have a very good system to share the economics between the owners and the players,” Tsai said. “The players are very, very important. In any sport, without the talent — the players — you’re not going to have a good team and you’re not going to have fans. So they’re very, very important.
Tsai also owns the WNBA’S New York Liberty, which he purchased earlier this year. Last year, he aligned with Sixers owner Michael Rubin among others in an attempt to buy the NFL’s Carolina Panthers, though the group’s bid was not successful.
Knicks Fond Of Cam Reddish?
The NBA Draft lottery is a week away, so it’s not yet known where the Knicks will pick in the upcoming draft. It would be an upset if New York or any team pass on Zion Williamson if given the opportunity to select No. 1 overall. However, the Knicks have just a 14% chance of landing the top overall selection.
What will New York do if they don’t land the top pick? Ian Begley of SNY.tv hears that team evaluators like Cam Reddish‘s game. Begley cautions that this piece of information doesn’t mean the Knicks will select Reddish but the organization does believe Reddish’s game will translate well to the NBA.
The Knicks can pick no lower than No. 5 overall, as our NBA Draft Lottery Odds page indicates. The team has a 40.1% chance at picking in the top three, where Williamson, Ja Morant, and R.J. Barrett are expected to go.
No matter who is selected with New York’s pick, he’ll likely be a subject of trade rumors, especially if the team expects to land a superstar like Kevin Durant. We could see a situation similar to the Cavaliers after they signed LeBron James as a free agent in 2014 and traded No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins for Kevin Love, or the Celtics when they traded 2007 No. 5 overall pick Jeff Green for Ray Allen with an eye toward adding Kevin Garnett later that summer.
The Knicks could trade their pick for a star or a more established player, though Begley notes that there is no firm consensus in the front office about whether the team should trade this year’s first-round pick for any player, including Anthony Davis.
Stein’s Latest: Lue, Suns, Cavaliers
Marc Stein’s newsletter is a must-read for all NBA fans and this week’s piece for The New York Times is filled with insight on this offseason’s coaching hires, among other nuggets. Here are the highlights from the piece:
- Tyronn Lue, who is set to become the Lakers next coach, was not the unanimous first choice among the organization’s decision-makers, Stein hears. Some within the franchise worried about Lue aiding LeBron James‘ influence within the Lakers and Lue’s supporters were forced to wait until Monty Williams, who was hired by the Suns, was no longer available.
- It appears Suns owner Robert Sarver wants to continue to have the loudest say over the team’s basketball operations. Sarver brought in Jeff Bower as an advisor this offseason without giving the executive any real decision-making power, Stein writes.
- Phoenix hired Williams as its head coach in part because the front office hopes he can give the Suns a “strong voice and presence,” Stein adds. The organization envisions Williams establishing a winning culture and an improved reputation around the league.
- The Cavaliers want to hire a young head coach who embraces analytics in an attempt to replicate Brooklyn’s rebuild under coach Kenny Atkinson and Atlanta’s setting with Lloyd Pierce. You can find our Cavaliers’ page here with the latest on their ongoing coaching search.