Cousins, Jones Could Return For Warriors
Centers DeMarcus Cousins and Damian Jones may be available later in the playoffs if the Warriors keep winning, tweets Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Coach Steve Kerr offered health updates on both players today, saying they are making progress and Jones could be cleared for contact next week.
Cousins was feared to be lost for the season after suffering a torn left quad in Game 2 of the first-round series against the Clippers. He was ruled out indefinitely, although there was some hope that he could return if he responded well to treatment.
Jones, who is already able to participate in three-on-three drills, hasn’t played since undergoing surgery for a torn left pectoral muscle in December. He began the season as the Warriors’ starting center, but appeared in just 24 games before the injury.
Golden State would welcome some help at center after being decisively out-rebounded in Game 3 against the Rockets. The Warriors have been getting by with Kevon Looney and Andrew Bogut in the middle, but have mainly been using a small lineup with no true center on the court.
Texas Notes: Spurs, Milutinov, Walker, Bzdelik
Barring any surprises, the Spurs‘ starting five for next season appears set, writes Jeff McDonald of The Athletic. Dejounte Murray, returning from a torn right ACL, should take over at point guard, with Derrick White joining him in the backcourt. DeMar DeRozan will move to forward, alongside LaMarcus Aldridge and Jakob Poeltl, who impressed the coaching staff after a midseason move into the starting lineup.
That means, if he returns, Rudy Gay will continue in a bench role, along with Bryn Forbes, who started much of this season. Coach Gregg Popovich wants DeRozan to become more proficient from 3-point territory to make up for not having Forbes as a starter.
“That’s what the league is all about now,” Popovich said. “End of the game, the first thing that you look at is 3-point shooting, and it covers up a whole lot of warts. You can get beat on the boards — I mean, in one of the games that we beat Denver, they had 28 second-chance points, but they shot horribly, and we shot very well. Game over. It’s not very interesting. It’s not much fun. But that’s the way the league is.”
There’s more NBA news from Texas:
- The Spurs may be ready to add draft-and-stash project Nikola Milutinov to their roster, McDonald adds. The 26th pick in 2015, Milutinov has been playing for Olympiacos B.C. of the Greek Basketball League, where he averaged 10.7 PPG and 6.8 RPG this season. The Spurs will explore the 24-year-old center’s market value before bringing him to the U.S., and McDonald expects them to let him adjust to the league gradually, just as they did with Boban Marjanovic and Davis Bertans.
- Kemba Walker appears to be the Mavericks‘ most realistic option in free agency, Marc Stein of the New York Times said in a recent radio interview in Dallas. Stein said the Mavs are “legitimately intrigued” by Walker, and he believes they will get a meeting with him when free agency begins in July.
- Rockets associate head coach Jeff Bzdelik has found a way to balance basketball and family after briefly walking away from the game last fall, relays Brian T. Smith of The Houston Chronicle. Houston convinced him to return in November and he helped fix the defense after a disastrous start. “He was kind of resolute for a little while,” said Rockets CEO Tad Brown. “Fortunately for us, we were able to wear him down and end up bringing him back. The first thing was always, let’s make sure everything is OK, personally, with he and his family. And then, secondarily, how do we handle this, how do we move forward? But at the same time, he’s a key part of what we do. How do we get him back to (our) family?”
Raptors Notes: Lowry, Leonard, Small Lineup, Nurse
Kyle Lowry is facing a critical point not only in the Raptors‘ current playoff series, but maybe in his future in Toronto, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. A loss in the conference semifinals would likely lead to major changes for the organization, which could include moving on from Lowry, who will make $33.5MM next season in the final year of his contract.
The Raptors need more offense from Lowry, who made just two shots from the field and finished with seven points in a Game 3 loss. With Pascal Siakam listed as doubtful for today because of a calf contusion, Toronto will need someone to provide extra scoring punch.
“I passed up a lot of shots (in Game 3), and (I need to focus on) not anything but trying to make the next play, and the right play is me shooting sometimes,” Lowry said. “And overthinking that is trying to get everybody involved or get an easier shot or get someone else going. It’s kind of been one of the things where I shouldn’t have done (that) as much. But I’ve done it, but next game, and for the games going on, I’ve got to be a little bit more assertive.”
There’s more this morning from Toronto:
- Toronto may be at a crossroads regarding its future, writes Tom Ziller of SB Nation. A loss today would put the Raptors in a 3-1 hole, making it unlikely that they’ll win the series, which in turn makes it harder to imagine that Kawhi Leonard will stay in Toronto, Ziller notes. Leonard is expected to opt out of the final year of his contract this summer and is rumored to want to play in Los Angeles. Siakam looks like a future star, but if Leonard leaves, the Raptors will be left with an aging core of Lowry, Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka.
- The Raptors may move away from their smaller lineups after being dominated inside in Game 3, according to Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. That means the trio of Lowry, Fred VanVleet and Norman Powell may not take the floor together in today’s game, which could result in more minutes for Leonard and Patrick McCaw. “Obviously you look at — jeez, they just look bigger, and the size problem, and with Kyle-Fred-Norm out there we get a little small, right?” coach Nick Nurse said. “But there’s some things we can do with the rotations. We’ll take a look at that, but we can get bigger out there.”
- Max Whittle of Sky Sports examines Nurse’s journey from the British Basketball League to the NBA playoffs.
Terrence Jones To Play In The Philippines
The Philippines will be the next stop for veteran forward Terrence Jones, according to Nicola Lupo of Sportando. Jones has signed with TNT KaTropa to compete for this year’s PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
The 27-year-old spent time with the Rockets on a pair of 10-day contracts in February and March, but only got into two games and played five total minutes. He appeared in 26 G League games this season, averaging 23.5 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.7 assists.
Houston selected Jones with the 18th pick in the 2012 draft, and he spent four seasons there. His best year came in 2013/14, when he averaged 12.1 PPG and 6.9 RPG in 76 games. He also played briefly for the Pelicans and Bucks.
LeBron James Speaks Out About Magic’s Resignation
LeBron James broke his silence on Magic Johnson’s surprising departure as president of the Lakers with strong words for his former boss, writes Ben Golliver of The Washington Post. James’ comments came on the latest episode of “The Shop,” his HBO show, which aired tonight.
“It was just weird for [Johnson] to just be like . . . ‘Nah, I’m out of here,’” James said. “And not even have [a heads-up] like: ‘Hey, Bron . . . kiss my a–. I’m out of here.’ I would have been okay with that. Like: ‘Hey, Bron, it’s Magic. Kiss my a–; I’m gone.’ It wasn’t even that.”
Johnson made the announcement in a session with reporters as the Lakers were preparing for their final game of the season. He didn’t talk to team owner Jeanie Buss or any of the players about his intentions before informing the media.
“We were like, ‘Damn, right now?’ It was literally 70 minutes on the clock before [tip-off],” James said. “[The team] is getting ready for a game. And you decide to do that right here, right now? I feel like there’s a time and place for things, and I believe that you knew you were going to make that decision. So why would you do it here? And why would you do it now?”
Also on “The Shop,” James recalled Johnson’s recruiting message last summer in which he hoped to build a new version of “Showtime,” the Lakers’ team that dominated the 1980s.
“I came here to be a part of the Lakers organization [after] having a conversation with Magic,” James said. “[He was] really kind of breaking it down and saying how we were going to make this ‘Showtime’ again. I wanted to be a part of that process.”
Atlantic Notes: Smart, McHale, Nets, Knicks
Marcus Smart is expected to join his Celtics teammates for practice tomorrow, according to Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. It will be Smart’s first on-court action since suffering an oblique tear last month.
Although Smart will be a full participant, the session won’t include contact as coach Brad Stevens plans to give the team a break ahead of Monday’s Game 4 against the Bucks.
“I’m going to talk to our training staff [on Saturday], and then, [Sunday], all indication is he will go through our practice,” Stevens said. “I’m writing up our practice plan now, and I don’t have any live drills on it, so if he does [contact work], it’ll probably be before or after practice, if that’s his next step.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Former teammate Kevin McHale reached out to Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge after he suffered a mild heart attack this week, relays Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. McHale, who has previous front office experience with the Timberwolves, can relate to the pressure of running a team. “It’s a stressful job, but I would say Danny has probably got the best perspective of anyone in the league on that job and what’s going on,” McHale said. “… I think having Austin [his son is the Celtics’ director of player personnel] working there with him, I can just tell how much he enjoys it and how well they work together.”
- Gianluca Pascucci, who serves as director of global scouting for the Nets, is being considered for an executive position with AC Milano in Italy, but the organization may try to hold on to him, tweets NetsDaily. Pascucci could be a candidate for assistant GM in Brooklyn if Trajan Langdon leaves. Langdon was considered for front office positions with the Timberwolves and Pelicans and is rumored to be a candidate with the Wizards.
- Las Vegas oddsmakers are expecting a huge summer for the Knicks, writes David Purdum of ESPN. The SuperBook at Westgate Las Vegas has given New York 16-1 odds to win next season’s title, trailing just the Bucks, Celtics and Sixers in the East. Jeff Sherman, who oversees the Superbook’s NBA odds, told Purdum they are based on the Knicks being the favorites to land Kevin Durant in free agency. He adds that New York would be about a 300-1 shot without Durant.
Warriors Notes: Looney, Durant, Iguodala, Curry
Kevon Looney can expect salary offers in the $3-$5MM range when he becomes a free agent this summer, according to sources who spoke to Ethan Strauss of The Athletic. Looney became the Warriors‘ most reliable center in his fourth NBA season, averaging career highs with 6.3 points and 5.2 rebounds in 80 games.
Golden State has the league’s highest payroll, but Looney may have made himself too valuable to part with, Strauss adds. He’s only 23 and could be the starting center of the future, considering the uncertainty surrounding DeMarcus Cousins. Looney has expressed a desire to play in the Chase Center when it opens next season, and there won’t be any cap-related roadblocks because the team owns his Bird Rights.
There’s more Warriors news to pass along:
- Kevin Durant has a major free agency decision to make in less than two months, but it’s not distracting him during the playoffs, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. Durant has been on a scoring tear through the first two rounds of the postseason as he tries to lead the Warriors to their third straight championship since he arrived. “It’s just fun being out there,” he said when asked about playoff pressure. “What’s the worst that can happen to either team? We both lose and we got another game. One team loses, we play another game. I think once everybody looks at it in more of a wider view of things, I don’t think it’s that much pressure.”
- There were concerns that Andre Iguodala might have been overpaid when he signed his current contract, but the Warriors are happy to have him for $16MM this season and $17.18MM next year, relays Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Iguodala averaged 5.7 points and 3.7 rebounds in 68 games this season, career lows in both categories, but the team considers him to be invaluable in the playoffs. “Are we overpaying statistically? Probably,” coach Steve Kerr said. “Are we overpaying in terms of his value on winning a championship? Hell, no. Can you imagine us without him? No. He’s been worth every penny and more.”
- Not much has gone wrong for the Warriors so far in the conference semifinals, but Stephen Curry‘s foul problems have been a concern, notes Martin Rogers of USA Today. Curry has gotten into early foul trouble in the first two games, finishing with five each time, which affects Kerr’s planned rotations.
Terry Stotts Says Jokic Elbow Was “Uncalled For”
The Trail Blazers are upset about an elbow from Nuggets center Nikola Jokic in Friday’s four-overtime game that aggravated Enes Kanter‘s left shoulder injury, relays Royce Young of ESPN. Kanter said his shoulder was separated “more” during the game and blames a shot from Jokic that he posted on social media following the game (Twitter link).
Portland coach Terry Stotts addressed the situation today, saying it was “uncalled for” and he “certainly didn’t approve of it.” He isn’t sure if the NBA plans to review the play for possible disciplinary action against Jokic. Technical or flagrant fouls can be handed out retroactively, Young notes.
Nuggets coach Michael Malone defended his star center and disagreed with Stotts’ view of the incident.
“Normal play,” Malone said. “I think Terry is off base there. Personally, I don’t think it was anything malicious. Just like some of their screens in the first two games, I don’t think there was anything malicious to it — with Kanter getting tossed into Torrey Craig. This is the playoffs. We’re all big boys, let’s go out and play the game accordingly.
“I have known Nikola Jokic for four years. He doesn’t have that kind of personality, he doesn’t have that DNA gene where he’s going to go out there and make non-basketball plays and try to hurt anybody or do anything that is beyond the limits of what is sportsmanship and what is not sportsmanship. So I would definitely not agree with Terry’s assessment.”
Kanter separated his shoulder in the final game of the first-round series against the Thunder. Despite playing in pain, he logged 56 minutes last night and posted 18 points and 15 rebounds.
Kanter said after the game that he had to tuck his left arm in his jersey because he was unable to lift it. He received treatment from the team’s medical staff today and his status for tomorrow’s Game 4 remains uncertain.
Jazz Notes: Favors, Ingles, Sefolosha, Udoh
The Jazz have until July 6 to decide whether to keep Derrick Favors for another season, but the 27-year-old power forward is certain that he wants to stay in Utah, writes Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune. The Jazz hold a team option on Favors’ $17.65MM salary for next season and will have close to a week to examine the free agent market before making a final decision.
“I have a team option; I need that option picked up! I would prefer to come back here,” Favors told Walden. “The grass is not always greener on the other side. … I’m happy in the situation that I’m in, in the position that I’m in — I think it’s good for me and the organization.”
Utah can open enough cap room to make a maximum offer by letting Favors go. While that’s enticing, several Jazz players are lobbying for the team to keep Favors, and GM Dennis Lindsey admits that he has enormous value.
There’d be no playoffs this season without Derrick, no playoff advancement the two previous years,” Lindsey said. “I get it, I get it — obviously, Jae [Crowder] comes in and we have some more mobility and spacing. … [But] Derrick Favors isn’t part of the problem, he’s part of the solution.”
There’s more today from Utah:
- After winning 50, 48 and 51 games the past three seasons, it’s time for the Jazz to take some chances to reach the next level, contends Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. That may mean parting with Favors, along with Kyle Korver and Royce O’Neale, who also have non-guaranteed contracts, and letting unrestricted free agents Ricky Rubio and Raul Neto move on. Deveney suggests finding a Rubio replacement by resuming talks with the Grizzlies about Mike Conley or targeting Nets restricted free agent D’Angelo Russell. While Tobias Harris would fit perfectly, Deveney believes he will stay with the Sixers and sees the Bucks’ Malcolm Brogdon as a possible alternative.
- Joe Ingles could be switched to a sixth-man role if the Jazz are able to make an upgrade at the wing this summer, according to Mike Sorensen of The Deseret News. Ingles improved as a playmaker this year and his durability makes him valuable however the team decides to use him.
- As free agents over the age of 30, Thabo Sefolosha and Ekpe Udoh both face uncertain futures in Utah, Sorensen adds in a separate story. “I’m going to keep my options open and see what makes sense,” Sefolosha said. “Like I say, I had a great experience here for two years and I think it would be great if I can come back and keep working with this group and keep evolving.”
Five Key Stories: 4/27/19 – 5/4/19
If you missed any of this past week’s biggest headlines from around the NBA, we’ve got you covered with our Week in Review. Here are some of the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days:
The Suns have agreed to hire Sixers’ assistant coach Monty Williams as the franchise’s next head coach. Williams, who first interviewed with the Suns on April 26, was the first candidate that Phoenix brought in after parting ways with Igor Kokoskov. He was also reportedly always the Suns’ prime candidate for the job. Williams will stick with Philadelphia until the end of the club’s playoff run before officially making the move to Phoenix and signing a five-year deal. Williams, 47, previously served as head coach for the Pelicans from 2010-2015 where he posted a modest record of 173-221.
In other head coaching news, the Lakers have no plans to interview any other candidates and will reach out to Tyronn Lue in the coming days to offer him the team’s head coaching position. Lue, who met with Lakers’ brass for a second time last week, has not yet heard from L.A., but reports suggest it’s only a matter of time. The hire will reunite Lue with Lakers’ forward LeBron James, a coupling that brought the Cavaliers their first-ever NBA championship back in 2016.
The Timberwolves plan to hire Rockets’ executive Gersson Rosas as their new president of basketball operations. Rosas, who has spent the better part of two decades with the Rockets under Daryl Morey, has been a popular target in recent years for teams with openings in their front office. He was reportedly considered by the Hornets, Pistons, and Sixers in 2018 and he interviewed with both the Pelicans and Wizards this spring. It remains to be seen whether or not Rosas will retain GM Scott Layden and/or head coach Ryan Saunders.
Nets’ shooting guard Allen Crabbe has exercised his player option for the 2019/20 season, thereby locking in his $18.5MM salary for next year and putting the 27-year-old veteran on track to reach unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2020. Crabbe, whose cap hit could derail some offseason free agency plans for the Nets, may find himself on the trade block, or the Nets could waive and stretch his salary over the next three seasons. Doing so would create dead cap hits of $6.17MM for the 2019/20, 2020/21, and 2021/22 seasons.
Veteran NBA shooting guard Gerald Henderson has ended his comeback effort and officially announced his retirement. Henderson underwent multiple surgical procedures on his hip last summer to treat ongoing arthritis and when he was finally able to work out again, he tore his Achilles tendon during a pickup game. Henderson, still only 31, joined the Hornets’ broadcast team at FOX Sports Southeast in January for the second half of the 2018/19 season.
Here are 10 more NBA-related headlines worth passing along this week:
- The Grizzlies, continuing to revamp their front office, promoted former NBA champion Tayshaun Prince to the title of Vice President of Basketball Affairs within the franchise’s basketball operations department.
- Head coach Doc Rivers officially signed his long-term contract extension with the Clippers after hinting at the same in March in an effort to quell rumors that had begun to swirl about his interest in the Lakers.
- Despite a relatively disappointing 2018/19 season, the Thunder have no plans to move on from head coach Billy Donovan, with general manager Sam Presti telling reporters that he expects Donovan to be back in Oklahoma City for the 2019/20 season.
- While it remains to be seen for what team, veteran shooting guard Vince Carter, now 42, has confirmed that he intends to continue his playing career into the 2019/20 season.
- It’s looking more and more likely that Spurs’ head coach Gregg Popovich will return next season, and if he does, he is expected to sign a three-year contract that will ensure he remains the NBA’s highest-paid coach.
- The Wizards, looking for a someone to replace Ernie Grunfeld atop the front office, met with former Pelicans’ interim GM Danny Ferry on Tuesday to discuss the opening. They also met with Rosas before he took the head position in Minneapolis and with Troy Weaver, the VP of basketball operations for the Thunder.
- The Mavericks plan to target both Kemba Walker and Bucks’ swingman Khris Middleton in free agency this summer to solidify the team’s starting lineup around Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis.
- Beginning as early as the 2021/22 season, the Pistons’ G League franchise will begin playing in Detroit at a new $25MM athletic facility that will house the Wright State University basketball teams.
- Celtics’ president of basketball operations Danny Ainge suffered a mild heart attack on Tuesday night in Milwaukee. Ainge, 60, has since returned to Boston and is expected to make a full recovery.
- The Bulls and head coach Jim Boylen agreed to terms on a deal that will extend Boylen’s contract beyond the 2019/20 season. Despite a rough year record-wise, Chicago’s front office views Boylen as the teacher that the club’s young roster needs, and love the way he was able to build relationships with his players.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.