Grizzlies Hire Taylor Jenkins As Head Coach
2:21pm: The Grizzlies have officially confirmed that they’ve hired Jenkins as their new head coach.
“We are excited to welcome Taylor Jenkins to the Grizzlies organization,” Kleiman said in a statement. “Taylor has an excellent coaching pedigree and we are confident he will lay the groundwork of developing the young players on our roster while having the elite basketball acumen and forward-thinking positive vision to be a high-level NBA head coach.”
10:48am: The Grizzlies‘ lengthy coaching search has come to an end, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports that the club is hiring Bucks assistant Taylor Jenkins as its new head coach. Memphis had been the last NBA team with a head coaching vacancy.
Jenkins spent several seasons with the Spurs beginning in 2007, eventually being promoted to the head coach of the franchise’s G League team in Austin. Following his time in San Antonio, he joined Mike Budenholzer‘s staff in Atlanta, serving as a Hawks assistant beginning in 2013. A year ago, he made the move to Milwaukee, once again working under Budenholzer as an assistant for the Bucks.
As Wojnarowski points out, Jenkins will become the third NBA head coach to be hired directly off Budenholzer’s staff. Quin Snyder (Jazz) and Kenny Atkinson (Nets) were assistants in Atlanta before joining their current teams.
Jenkins, who met with the Grizzlies three times during their search process, per Wojnarowski, was one of several reported candidates to interview the position. Alex Jensen, Jarron Collins, Igor Kokoskov, Nate Tibbetts, and Adrian Griffin were among the others who spoke to Memphis about the job, while Sarunas Jasikevicius was said to have received consideration as well.
Word of J.B. Bickerstaff‘s dismissal broke on April 11, so the Grizzlies spent two months searching for his replacement. It’s the first major decision made by the new management group led by team president Jason Wexler and executive VP of basketball operations Zach Kleiman.
Jenkins will assume control of a Grizzlies team that appears headed for a rebuild around 2018’s No. 4 overall pick Jaren Jackson Jr. and 2019’s probable No. 2 overall pick Ja Morant. Franchise point guard Mike Conley remains under contract for two years, but he’s expected to be a trade candidate this summer if Memphis looks to reboot around its young cornerstones.
Kidd-Gilchrist Undergoes Surgery To Address Groin Issue
Hornets swingman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist underwent a surgical procedure on Tuesday, the team announced in a press release. The surgery, which was performed in Philadelphia, addressed a chronic groin strain, according to the Hornets.
Kidd-Gilchrist is expected to make a full recovery in time for training camp this fall, per Charlotte’s announcement.
The Hornets’ press release makes it sound as if the team expects to have Kidd-Gilchrist on its roster for the start of training camp in September. He technically has a $13MM player option that he could turn down to become a free agent, but it’s probably a safe bet to assume that won’t happen after a down year and today’s surgery.
Kidd-Gilchrist, 25, averaged just 6.7 PPG and 3.8 RPG in a career-low 18.4 minutes per contest in 2018/19. Having started all but four of 357 career games for the Hornets heading into the season, he came off the bench for 61 of his 64 contests this past year.
Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer tweeted today that he recently asked an NBA executive if he thought Kidd-Gilchrist could make back the $13MM guarantee on his 2019/20 player option if he opts out. The executive’s response? “No way.”
Five Key Offseason Questions: Detroit Pistons
Thanks to an All-Star season from Blake Griffin, the Pistons reached the playoffs for just the second time since the 2008/09 season. Their postseason stay didn’t last long, as they were swept in the opening round by the top-seeded Bucks.
Making improvements to the team this offseason will be challenging for the front office. They are saddled with some bad contracts that will prevent them for pursuing top-level free agents. Talent is thin beyond the frontcourt duo of Griffin and Andre Drummond and they need to find some shooters. The team ranked only above the woeful Knicks in field-goal shooting percentage this season.
Here are five key questions facing the franchise this summer:
1. Will they keep the Blake Griffin/Andre Drummond/Reggie Jackson core intact?
It’s unlikely the Pistons will go into full tank mode after making the playoffs for the second time in a decade. Once the gold standard among Eastern Conference franchises by reaching the conference finals from 2003-08, the Pistons have been irrelevant for too long to start all over again.
Griffin has given the franchise the star power it has sorely lacked for many years. He has reshaped his game over the years, turning himself into a stretch four, ballhandler and playmaker. Moreover, concerns over how Griffin would handle the switch from Los Angeles to snowy Detroit have evaporated. He’s become the clear team leader and spokesman while endearing himself to teammates, coaches and staff members with his work ethic and professionalism.
Drummond is a tricky case. He’s the league’s premier rebounder and one of its most mobile big men. His offensive game has shown improvement, particularly at the free throw line where he’s gone from historically awful to somewhat respectable. He’s also shown some improvement defensively, leading the team in blocks and steals, though his presence doesn’t discourage opponents from attacking the paint.
The bigger question mark is Drummond’s future plans. He holds a player option on his contract after next season at $28.75MM. If he intends to opt out, the Pistons could explore trades to pile up assets rather than risk losing him for nothing more than salary-cap space next summer.
Jackson ranked 32nd among point guards on ESPN’s Player Efficiency Rating scale. Injuries have set his career back, though his play perked up after the All-Star break. There’s little doubt the Pistons would jump at the chance to upgrade at the point, since coach Dwane Casey‘s scheme isn’t reliant on pick-and-rolls and Jackson is more comfortable running those sets.
Jackson becomes a free agent next summer, so the cap-strapped Pistons may simply roll with him next season and then replace him.
The general feeling around the organization is that the Pistons will target a wing with their pick, which is just outside the lottery, but the team may ultimately utilize the “best player available” strategy at that spot.Hornets’ Marvin Williams Opts In For 2019/20
Hornets forward Marvin Williams has exercised his player option for the 2019/20 season, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). With that option locked in, Williams is now on track to reach unrestricted free agency in 2020, and will earn $15,006,250 next season, per Basketball Insiders.
Williams, the second overall pick in the 2005 draft, is coming off another solid season in which he averaged 10.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 1.2 APG with a .422/.366/.767 shooting line for Charlotte.
A forward like Williams, who can guard multiple positions and knock down three-pointers (.378 3PT% since joining the Hornets in 2014), would probably do reasonably well on the open market. However, the former UNC standout is entering his age-33 season and almost certainly wouldn’t match his $15MM option salary in free agency.
Williams said in April during his exit interview with reporters that he intended to pick up his option, so today’s news doesn’t come as a surprise. Two Hornets veterans – Williams and Bismack Biyombo – have now officially opted in for 2019/20, adding approximately $32MM to the club’s commitments for next season.
The Hornets are currently carrying about $81MM in guaranteed salaries, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist still seems like a good bet to pick up his own $13MM player option. If he does, it would push team salary above $94MM without taking into account a new deal for Kemba Walker, limiting Charlotte’s ability to significantly upgrade its roster whether or not Walker returns.
Williams will become the eighth veteran this spring to officially exercise a player option, as our tracker indicates.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Kevin Durant Notes: Reactions, Ripple Effect, More
Even though he was cleared to play in Game 5, Warriors star Kevin Durant wasn’t “anywhere close” to 100%, sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. As family members, teammates, and confidants checked in on his status during his recovery from a calf injury, Durant said throughout the process that he was still experiencing discomfort pushing off his right foot, Haynes adds.
There was some resentment throughout Durant’s recovery about the way the Warriors handled updates on his progress, according to Haynes, who notes that KD’s possible return became a daily talking point once the club didn’t simply rule him out indefinitely.
Durant is now facing a possible worst-case scenario, as he suffered an Achilles injury during his brief return on Monday night. While an MRI has yet to confirm the diagnosis, the Warriors believe he suffered a torn right Achilles tendon. An injury of that magnitude would sideline him not only for the rest of the NBA Finals, but for most or all of the 2019/20 season.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that Durant is heading to New York, rather than Oakland, for medical evaluations on his injured Achilles. The Warriors don’t expect to have an update on the two-time Finals MVP until at least late tonight or tomorrow morning, tweets Mark Medina of The Bay Area News Group.
Here’s more on Durant’s injury:
- Warriors guard Shaun Livingston pushed back against the idea that the team’s front office or training staff should be blamed for Durant’s injury, per Howard Beck of Bleacher Report. “I know for a fact that our team, [GM] Bob [Myers] and [head coach] Steve [Kerr], and the training staff, is not going to compromise their integrity [just to win a game],” Livingston told Beck. “They’re always going to put a player first because they look at guys as humans.”
- Durant’s injury will have a significant ripple effect on the rest of the NBA Finals and the coming offseason, according to John Gonzalez of The Ringer. Gonzalez writes that teams like the Knicks and Clippers, who would have killed to sign a healthy KD, may have to re-evaluate their approach to free agency — assuming Durant even opts out of his Warriors contract, which is no longer a lock at all.
- Marc Berman of The New York Post and Ian Begley of SNY.tv examine the impact of Durant’s injury on the Knicks, with both reporters suggesting that it may increase the likelihood of the franchise continuing a gradual rebuild rather than swinging for the fences this offseason.
- While the Celtics were never considered a contender for Durant, Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston wonders if the injury could affect the team anyway. As Forsberg observes, there has long been speculation that Durant and Kyrie Irving would consider teaming up this summer. If Durant is expected to miss all or most of the 2019/20 season – or if he opts in with the Warriors – that scenario may no longer be on the table, which could in turn increase the odds of Irving sticking with Boston for at least one more year.
Spurs Assistant Ettore Messina Joins Olimpia Milano
11:09am: Olimpia Milano has made it official, announcing today in a press release that Messina has signed a three-year contract to serve as the club’s president of basketball operations and head coach.
8:01am: Spurs assistant coach Ettore Messina has agreed to a deal with Italian club Olimpia Milano, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). According to Charania, Messina will run the team’s basketball operations and will become its new head coach.
Emiliano Carchia of Sportando reported on Monday that Messina had interviewed for that dual role with Olimpia Milano, the only Italian club in the EuroLeague, and was expected to make a decision on his future this week. Prior to Charania’s report, Carchia had indicated that Messina was leaning toward accepting Milano’s offer.
While the details of Messina’s new agreement aren’t known, Carchia classifies it is a multiyear deal and suggests that Olimpia Milano made the veteran coach a “rich” offer to lure him away from San Antonio. Messina will replace Milano head coach Simone Pianigiani on the sidelines, and is expected to name a new general manager soon, per Carchia.
A longtime head coach overseas for CKSA Moscow, Real Madrid, and other clubs, Messina joined the Spurs in 2014 as Gregg Popovich‘s lead assistant. He has received interest from multiple NBA teams as a head coaching candidate since then, interviewing with the Hornets, Bucks, and Raptors in 2018, and the Cavaliers in 2019. He also coached Italy’s national team from 2015-17.
With Messina’s imminent departure, the Spurs will have some holes to fill on Popovich’s coaching staff for the 2019/20 season. After James Borrego left for the Hornets last spring, Messina and Ime Udoka are departing this year — Udoka recently accepted a job as the Sixers’ lead assistant.
Assistants Will Hardy and Becky Hammon are in position to take on more prominent roles in San Antonio.
James Ennis On Potential Return To Sixers: “I Would Love To Come Back”
Swingman James Ennis hopes to re-sign with the Sixers on a new, long-term deal in free agency, one that could give him some newfound stability in what’s been a roller coaster career to date, the 28-year-old told Hoops Rumors.
Ennis, who was a key cog off the 76ers’ bench during the playoffs, got traded to Philadelphia halfway through the season after starting the campaign in Houston. He worked his way up the ladder and gained more playing time, quickly earning the trust of head coach Brett Brown.
Ennis — along with agent Scott Nichols of Rize Management — informed the Sixers of his decision to decline a $1.85MM player option for the 2019/20 season last month. He’ll become an unrestricted free agent once free agency opens on June 30 at 6:00pm eastern time.
“I love the [Sixers] fans,” Ennis told Hoops Rumors. “I love how they support the team. I like Philly a lot and I would love to come back.”
Ennis, who held per-game averages of 7.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 21.1 minutes in the playoffs, is expected to seek a more lucrative multiyear deal and will receive interest from multiple teams.
The Sixers’ ability to retain Ennis could hinge in part on what Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris and J.J. Redick choose to do in free agency. Philadelphia will only hold Ennis’ Non-Bird rights, limiting the club’s ability to offer much of a raise, so cap room or another exception will likely be required to bring him back. Another franchise in need of a serviceable bench option could steal him away if the right contract is offered.
“It’s good to have leverage,” Ennis said of declining his player option. “When you have stability, you’re more comfortable. You know when you’re going to play, how much you’re going to play, it makes it easier. It was more consistent [playing time] towards the end of the season going into the playoffs. I was comfortable.”
Ennis has made stops with a handful of teams in his five-season NBA career, spending time with Miami, Memphis (twice), New Orleans, Detroit, Houston and Philadelphia. During that time, he has worked hard to establish himself as a two-way player, which is a major reason why he’s expected to seek a multiyear deal on the open market.
“I know my worth,” Ennis said. “I’ve put in a lot of work, and I know I’m better than a lot of the players who get $40MM [multiyear deals]. I know I’m better than a lot of players and I showed it in the playoffs — if you call my number I’ll be ready and I can produce.”
For Ennis, a journeyman now set to bet on himself in unrestricted free agency, declining his player option didn’t signify a desire to leave the 76ers. He has already held discussions with Brown about how he can improve his game entering next season, labeling defense and three-point shooting as two major areas to work on this offseason.
“I’m always gonna try to get better defensively, lateral movements and stuff like that,” Ennis said. “But just being a consistent knock-down three-point shooter [is the goal]. I think I shoot the ball okay, but I’ll be an elite shooter next year. Definitely.”
Sixers general manager Elton Brand will certainly have his hands full in free agency with the decisions of Butler, Harris, Redick and others this summer. But Ennis’ situation shouldn’t be ignored, especially given the club’s depth issues down the stretch.
Brand and his contingent have less than three weeks to develop a game plan for how they can re-sign their free agents, many of whom helped the team go down to the wire in a Game 7 against Toronto in this year’s Eastern Conference Finals. Bringing back those free agents was the Sixers’ goal when Ennis, Butler and Harris were acquired in separate trades during the season, and it’s still publicly and privately their primary goal today.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Durant Suffers Achilles Injury; MRI On Tuesday
JUNE 11: The Warriors believe that Durant’s MRI on Tuesday will confirm a torn right Achilles tendon, league sources tell ESPN’s Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
JUNE 10: Warriors superstar forward Kevin Durant suffered a right Achilles injury during Game 5 of the Finals, GM Bob Myers told the media after Golden State’s victory on Monday.
“The initial injury was a calf injury. This is not a calf injury. I don’t know how they are related but this is a different injury,” Myers said, according to a tweet by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps.
Durant will undergo an MRI on Tuesday to determine the extent of the injury, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN tweets.
Durant returned to action after missing over a month with a right calf strain suffered during the conference semifinals against Houston. Durant played well, scoring 11 points in 12 minutes, before injuring himself when he planted the leg making an offensive move during the second quarter. He was helped back to the locker room by teammate Andre Iguodala, among others.
Naturally, Golden State will be questioned for allowing Durant to play. Myers said he’ll take the hit.
“He was cleared to play tonight, that was a collaborative decision,” Ben Golliver of the Washington Post tweets. “I don’t believe there’s anybody to blame. I understand this world, if you have to, you can blame me. I run our basketball operations department.”
Durant departed the arena during the second half walking on crutches and wearing a walking boot, Shelburne adds in another tweet. If Durant suffered a tear, the injury would have giant implications on the free agent market.
Durant was expected to opt out of his contract — he has a $31.5MM player option for 2019/20 — and head into the market as the top free agent. Rumors of Durant joining one of the New York teams have been rampant and those plans could be shattered if Durant’s injury is significant. The Warriors have stated they plan to do everything possible to keep Durant.
Now, it’s possible Durant will opt into the remaining year of his contract if he’ll miss a good chunk of next season. Teammate DeMarcus Cousins didn’t return to the court for nearly a year after suffering a ruptured Achilles while he was still with the Pelicans.
Five Key Offseason Questions: San Antonio Spurs
The typically drama-free Spurs underwent some turmoil during the 2018 offseason. Having lost faith in the team after the way his quad injury was handled, Kawhi Leonard – the superstar who was supposed to lead the organization into the post-Tim Duncan/Manu Ginobili/Tony Parker era – asked for a trade.
The Spurs, who don’t often make blockbuster deals, granted his request, sending the star forward to Toronto in a four-player trade that saw another All-Star (DeMar DeRozan) land in San Antonio. Gregg Popovich‘s squad didn’t miss a beat, winning 48 games and extending its NBA-best playoff streak to 22 consecutive seasons. But with Leonard no longer around, the Spurs’ path back to championship contention looks murkier.
Here are five key questions facing the franchise this summer:
1. Are the Spurs content to move forward with DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge leading the way?
As noted above, the Spurs generally don’t head into offseasons – or trade deadlines – looking to shake up their roster with deals involving core players. Assuming they continue to operate that way, we can probably count on seeing a 2019/20 team that looks pretty similar to the 2018/19 squad, with San Antonio aiming to take a step forward by betting on Dejounte Murray‘s return and improvements from young players like Derrick White and Lonnie Walker.
Still, while the Spurs looked great at times last season, it’s fair to question the upside of a roster led by DeRozan and Aldridge. They’ve each made multiple All-NBA teams and – even as they enter their age-30 and age-34 seasons, respectively – should continue to produce going forward. But their heavy reliance on mid-range shots is unusual by modern NBA standards, and creates an increased degree of difficulty in a league where the most efficient and successful clubs are leaning heavily on three-pointers, shots at the rim, and free throws.
DeRozan and Aldridge each have just one guaranteed year left on their contracts — DeRozan has a 2020/21 player option, while Aldridge has a partial guarantee for that season. In other words, there could be some uncertainty about their status beyond the ’19/20 campaign.
If the Spurs want to get out ahead of that uncertainty, they could consider the possibility of moving one of their stars. Popovich has never shown much interest in dealing with the Lakers, but I can’t help but think that they’d be a good trade partner for the Spurs if they miss out on other top targets. The Lakers made a run at Aldridge in 2015 and DeRozan is a Los Angeles native, while some of their young players could really blossom under Popovich.
Again, given what we know about the Spurs, the idea that they’d make a blockbuster deal for a second straight summer is unlikely, but it’s still a concept worth considering.
Northwest Notes: Donovan, Blazers, Jazz, Franklin
Billy Donovan‘s contract runs out after next season but he’s not sweating over his tenuous status with the Thunder, Erik Horne of The Oklahoman writes. Donovan has no real desire to return to the college ranks and will likely retire or become an NBA assistant if he loses his job with Oklahoma City, Horne continues. It’s possible the Thunder will give Donovan an extension during the season but he’s not lobbying for any assurances, Horne adds. The Thunder have lost three assistants — Mark Bryant, Darko Rajakovic and Bob Beyer — due to the lack of job security in OKC.
We have more from around the Northwest Division:
- The Trail Blazers took a look at six guard and wing prospects in their latest pre-draft workout on Monday, according to a team press release. Boston College’s Ky Bowman, Brewster Academy’s Jalen Lecque, Clemson’s Shelton Mitchell, Nebraska’s James Palmer Jr., Oregon State’s Stephen Thompson and Belmont’s Dylan Windler were the participants. Lecque is ranked No. 48 overall by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.
- The Jazz, who hold the No. 23 overall pick in the first round, have a better idea of which players will be available at that spot, Eric Woodyard of The Deseret News reports. “I think we do have a better idea of 5-10 guys, I don’t have an exact number right now, but I think we’ve narrowed it down,” VP of player personnel Walt Perrin said. “We were in the theater the other day looking at players and talking about whether or not they should still be in the 23, as we call it, bucket. So, it’s again, 12 days and we’ll know better in another week, but I think the process is starting to narrow itself.”
- Former NBA guard Jamaal Franklin participated in a free agent mini-camp with the Trail Blazers, according to Sportando’s Nicola Lupo. Franklin averaging 32.3 points, 9.9 rebounds, eight assists, and 2.4 steals this past season with the Sichuan Blue Whales in China. He last played in the league during the 2014-15 season with Denver. Franklin also recently participated in a Kings mini-camp.