Latest On NBA G League’s New Select Team
Former Raptors and Timberwolves head coach Sam Mitchell, who was named the NBA’s Coach of the Year in 2006/07, is expected to become the coach of the G League’s newly-formed “Select Team,” reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The new squad is the one that prep stars Jalen Green and Isaiah Todd will be joining next season, as we detailed last week.
As Adam Zagoria of Forbes points out, the Mitchell news hasn’t officially been confirmed, but the 56-year-old – who coached Green in AAU – repeatedly used the word “we” when he referred to the team during a recent ESPN appearance. Mitchell confirmed that the new G League Select Team will feature several veterans in addition to the prospects arriving from high school, suggesting that most of those vets will be aiming to get back to the NBA.
“We’re going to try to fill out the rest of the roster with guys who know how to play, guys that know how to be mentors, but also guys that can teach these guys how to play and how to win and how to be a pro,” Mitchell said, per Zagoria. “They’re going to try to surround these kids with all different type of players, the type of players that they’re going to have to play on a team with.
“Some of these (prospects) are actually going to be fortunate enough to go to (an NBA) team where they’re actually going to be the man on a team and some of these guys are going to be on a team where they’re going to have to learn how to fit in,” Mitchell continued. “So they’re going to mix these teams up with different types of players with different types of backgrounds. It’s not going to just be a bunch of high school kids.”
Here’s more on the G League’s new squad and the league’s developmental path for top high school prospects:
- Prior to Carchia’s report on Mitchell, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports wrote that David Fizdale and Brian Shaw were also receiving consideration for the Select Team’s head coaching job. A source who spoke to Zagoria said that he wouldn’t be surprised if Fizdale and Shaw still end up having some sort of role with the club.
- The G League’s Select Team is exploring the idea of making the Mamba Sports Academy its “home base,” sources tell Haynes. The training facility, created by the late Kobe Bryant, is just one of a handful of venues being considered, but it appears to be a frontrunner, Haynes adds. The Select Team will be based in Southern California.
- Zagoria wrote in a separate Forbes article last week that the G League has been attempting to court other high school stars in addition to Green and Todd, including five-star recruit Greg Brown. Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link) hears that the NBAGL has actually already started reaching out to prospects in the 2021 recruiting class as well.
Knicks Feel They’re Well Positioned To Trade For Star
Although the Knicks struck out in their quest to land a star player (or two) on last year’s free agent market, multiple people with the team believe the franchise is well positioned to trade for a “disgruntled” star if one becomes available, writes Ian Begley of SNY.tv.
“,” one member of New York’s front office recently said, per Begley.
As Begley explains, the Knicks hold all their own first-round picks going forward and also will receive the Clippers’ 2020 first-rounder, plus first-rounders from Dallas in 2021 (unprotected) and 2023 (top-10 protected).
Under previous presidents of basketball operations Phil Jackson and Steve Mills, the Knicks were reluctant – if not unwilling – to include first-round picks in trades, after having been burned by their willingness to do so in the past. However, that stance appears to be evolving under Leon Rose. According to Begley, multiple people within the organization are comfortable with the idea of giving up a first-rounder or two in the right deal, since the Knicks currently hold seven in the next four drafts.
The club has a fairly clean future cap sheet too, which would allow for some creativity in taking on salary in any trade. Additionally, while the Knicks would likely be very reluctant to include Mitchell Robinson or RJ Barrett in any deals, they have other young players like Kevin Knox and Frank Ntilikina, who could appeal to teams that believe they could rebuild the value of those former lottery picks.
For now, there’s no obvious trade candidate for the Knicks to target, but as Begley observes, it’s likely just a matter of time before an All-Star caliber player becomes dissatisfied with his current situation and pushes to be dealt. If and when that happens, the Knicks figure to be among the teams in the mix.
Bucks’ Milt Newton Among Bulls’ GM Candidates
Bucks assistant general manager Milt Newton has emerged as another candidate for the Bulls‘ GM job, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago (via Twitter). It’s not clear if Chicago has requested or received permission to speak to Newton, or if he has formally interviewed for the position.
Newton, hired by the Bucks in the summer of 2017, previously worked for the 76ers, Wizards, and the NBA league office, and was the Timberwolves’ general manager from 2013 to 2016.
If he does interview with the Bulls, Newton will join a list of GM candidates that includes Sixers senior VP of player personnel Marc Eversley, Clippers assistant GM Mark Hughes, and Magic assistant GM Matt Lloyd, and Mavericks VP of basketball operations Michael Finley. A report last Tuesday noted that the Bulls had received permission to speak to Eversley, Hughes, and Lloyd, while a subsequent report confirmed that the club had also spoken to Finley.
According to Johnson, the Bulls’ first round of interviews is ongoing, and there’s an expectation it will lead to a second round of meetings with a smaller group of finalists. There has been no indication yet which candidates will advance to that stage.
The Bulls are seeking a general manager who will work under newly-hired executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas, who will be making the final basketball decisions in Chicago. Previous GM Gar Forman was let go when Karnisovas was hired.
Tyronn Lue Reportedly Interested In Coaching Nets
Former Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue is interested in the Nets‘ head coaching job, a source tells Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News.
Bondy’s report comes about a month and a half after Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports suggested that Nets point guard Kyrie Irving would like to see the team hire Lue, his coach in Cleveland. We noted a week later that oddsmakers had installed Lue as the early favorite for the Brooklyn job.
The Nets parted ways with Kenny Atkinson just four days before the NBA suspended its season in March. Jacque Vaughn took over the role on an interim basis, winning his first two games before the league went on hiatus.
Under normal circumstances, the franchise would likely be in the midst of a full-fledged head coaching search right now, since the regular season was scheduled to end last Wednesday. However, with everything on hold as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the Nets are putting off their coaching search as well — GM Sean Marks said three weeks ago that pursuing potential candidates at this time “would completely not be fair to our group.”
Once they do initiate their coaching search, the Nets seem likely to consider Lue, who led the Cavs to a 128-83 (.607) record, three Finals appearances, and a championship in two full seasons and parts of two others. Lue reportedly received strong consideration from the Lakers last spring for their coaching job, but was said to be seeking a stronger commitment than the club was willing to offer. He ended up joining the Clippers instead as an assistant on Doc Rivers‘ staff.
Bondy speculates that Tom Thibodeau, Mark Jackson, Phil Handy, and Jason Kidd could be some of the other coaching candidates who receive consideration from the Nets.
Ben Simmons Expected To Return If Season Resumes
Sixers guard Ben Simmons is expected to be ready to go if and when the 2019/20 season resumes, sources tell ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan.
When the NBA suspended its season last month, Simmons had been sidelined indefinitely due to a a nerve impingement in his back. On March 11, hours before word of Rudy Gobert‘s positive coronavirus test broke, the 76ers had announced that Simmons would be re-evaluated in three weeks. Now, nearly six weeks later, the team sounds pleased with the progress the former No. 1 pick has made in his recovery.
“If the season resumes,” a Sixers source told ESPN, “we’re expecting to have him.”
As MacMullan details, Philadelphia’s plan all along was to bring Simmons back for a handful of games at the end of the regular season so that he’d be ready to go for the playoffs. That plan was disrupted by the NBA’s stoppage, particularly since Simmons was required to self-quarantine for 14 days last month. However, he has been permitted to visit the club’s training facility for treatment since then, and has ramped up his rehab in recent weeks, per MacMullan.
“He’s feeling strong,” a member of Simmons’ camp told ESPN. “The original restrictions were very limiting, but all of them have been removed. He would probably need another scan, so the doctors could officially clear him, but there’s been no setbacks. He’s dying to get out there.”
Although the NBA’s hiatus could put Simmons in a better position to contribute to a Sixers postseason run, it may also adversely affect his future earnings. The All-Star guard, who signed a five-year extension last offseason, is set to receive a raise to the maximum salary beginning next season. But the exact value of the deal will depend on where the salary cap lands, and lost revenue from the stoppage will limit the league’s ability to substantially increase its cap.
Elijah Hughes To Remain In Draft
Syracuse swingman Elijah Hughes will remain in the draft, Jeff Goodman of Goodman Hoops tweets.
Hughes declared for the draft last month in a Twitter post.
The 6’6” Hughes projects as a second-round pick. He is currently ranked No. 46 overall on ESPN’s Best Available list and No. 7 among shooting guards.
He averaged 19.0 PPG, 4.9 RPG and 3.4 APG this season as a redshirt junior and earned first-team All-ACC honors. He scored 27 points against North Carolina in the ACC tournament before it was canceled.
Hughes transferred from East Carolina after his freshman season and averaged 13.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG and 1.5 APG in his first year with the Orange.
Coronavirus Notes: Draft, Silver, Hiatus
Holding the draft before the season officially ends doesn’t make sense, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel opines. That would create some awkward situations, such as a playoff team drafting the replacement of a rotation player while its season is still ongoing. The draft also involves a lot of trades and teams couldn’t deal a player in the midst of an ongoing season, Winderman adds.
We have more COVID-19 related news:
- Commissioner Adam Silver struck a pessimistic tone during his media conference call on Friday, according to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. Silver has taken a somber tone in recent interviews but his latest comments felt more pessimistic, Mannix continues. After previously announcing that the league wouldn’t make any decisions in April, Silver said there were no guarantees any decisions would be made in early May, Mannix adds.
- While there’s a growing need to return to normalcy, it’s tough to know when the time is right to restart the season, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. While Silver didn’t rule anything out during his conference call, it doesn’t appear as if games will be played until at least July and there’s still a possibility the league will cancel the remainder of its season.
- There will be a sense of rebirth when basketball is played again, agent Bernie Lee writes for Hoops Hype. There’s opportunity in every situation and the current hiatus can be equated with a player getting hurt, Lee continues. There’s shock, followed by a wave of energy that comes from support. Monotony then sets in due to the rough path of recovery. The final stage is the rebirth, Lee adds.
Northwest Notes: Grant, Ferguson, Gallinari, Porter Jr.
Retaining Jerami Grant will be a priority for the Nuggets this offseason, according to Mike Singer of the Denver Post. Grant was highly productive filling in for Paul Millsap when Millsap was injured this season and could be the team’s starting power forward of the future. Grant has a $9.3MM option for next season and while the hiatus and subsequent league-wide loss of revenue could play into his decision, he’s still likely to opt out. Denver would then have to try to re-sign him as an unrestricted free agent.
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- Oklahoma County prosecutors have decided not to press charges against Thunder guard Terrance Ferguson regarding a rape allegation, Maddie Lee and Nolan Clay of The Oklahoman report. Ferguson was not arrested and there was a lack of evidence to support the allegation that the sexual conduct was not consensual. The incident dated back to a house party in 2018.
- Thunder forward Danilo Gallinari wants to finish his career in Italy with Olimpia Milano, Nicola Lupo of Sportando relays. Gallinari played for that organization before heading to the NBA. “Absolutely, it would be great to play a couple of seasons at a high level in the EuroLeague and win with that team. I’d like to finish my career in this way,” Gallinari said in an Italian radio interview. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent after this season, though the 31-year-old seems several years away from the end of his career.
- While Michael Porter Jr. had some rocky moments this season, he was productive in his rookie campaign and also avoided a major injury for the first time in three years, Singer writes in a separate story. The Nuggets forward made a monumental step in his career, Singer adds, and appears to have a bright future with the franchise.
Draft Notes: Joe, Bailey, Kurucs, Taylor, Eboua
Arkansas sophomore guard Isaiah Joe will test the 2020 NBA draft waters, head coach Eric Musselman told reporters today, per Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link).
Joe is coming off a season in which he averaged 16.9 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 1.4 SPG in 26 games (36.1 MPG) for the Razorbacks. Although his .390 FG% over two college seasons isn’t particularly impressive, it’s largely a result of his reliance on the three-point shot — 548 of his 718 total shot attempts came from beyond the arc, where he shot 37.8%.
Joe is ranked 61st on ESPN’s big board of 2020 prospects, making him a viable candidate to be drafted.
Here are a few more of the latest draft decisions:
- Marquette forward Brendan Bailey is declaring for the draft while maintaining his college eligibility, a source tells Evan Daniels of 247Sports.com (Twitter link). Bailey averaged 7.1 PPG and 5.2 RPG with a .383 3PT% in 30 games (all starts) as a sophomore.
- Arturs Kurucs, the brother of Nets forward Rodions Kurucs, has entered the 2020 draft, tweets ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. The Latvian guard spent this past season playing for VEF Riga in Latvia.
- Austin Peay junior guard Terry Taylor announced on Twitter that he’ll be testing the draft waters without hiring an agent. Taylor, who averaged 21.8 PPG and 11.0 RPG in 33 games (36.6 MPG) in 2019/20, is the second Austin Peay underclassman to declare for the draft, joining teammate Jordyn Adams.
- Cameroonian forward Paul Eboua has signed with BDA Sports for representation, a source tells Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Eboua – who ranks 56th on ESPN’s big board – hasn’t declared for the draft yet, but is expected to do so soon, per Carchia.
2020/21 Salary Cap Preview: Detroit Pistons
Hoops Rumors is looking ahead at the 2020/21 salary cap situations for all 30 NBA teams. Due to the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the NBA calendar, it’s impossible to know yet where the cap for 2020/21 will land. Given the league’s lost revenue, we’re assuming for now that it will stay the same as the ’19/20 cap, but it’s entirely possible it will end up higher or lower than that.
While one former No. 1 overall pick with a history of health issues (Derrick Rose) was a pleasant surprise for the Pistons in 2019/20, another (Blake Griffin) was limited to 18 ineffective games, which helped torpedo Detroit’s season.
After years of middle-of-the-pack finishes, the Pistons accepted that a rise to contention wasn’t around the corner and launched a full-scale rebuild, trading longtime center Andre Drummond, buying out veterans like Reggie Jackson and Markieff Morris, and focusing on player development. That focus figures to extend to next season and beyond, and since the Pistons’ roster isn’t exactly loaded with young talent, the rebuild will likely be a multiyear process.
Here’s where things stand for the Pistons financially in 2020/21, as we launch our Salary Cap Preview series:
Guaranteed Salary
- Blake Griffin ($36,810,996)
- Derrick Rose ($7,682,926)
- Luke Kennard ($5,273,826)
- Sekou Doumbouya ($3,449,400)
- Khyri Thomas ($744,684) — Partial guarantee. Non-guaranteed portion noted below. 1
- Total: $53,961,832
Player Options
- Tony Snell ($12,178,571)
- Total: $12,178,571
Team Options
- Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk ($1,663,861) 2
- Total: $1,663,861
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Justin Patton ($1,824,003)
- Bruce Brown ($1,663,861) 3
- Khyri Thomas ($919,177) 1
- Total: $4,407,041
Restricted Free Agents
- Thon Maker ($4,642,800 qualifying offer / $10,708,929 cap hold): Bird rights
- Jordan Bone (two-way qualifying offer / $1,445,697 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Louis King (two-way qualifying offer / $1,445,697 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Total (cap holds): $13,600,323
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
- Brandon Knight ($23,465,625): Bird rights
- John Henson ($14,598,594): Bird rights
- Langston Galloway ($13,933,333): Bird rights
- No. 7 overall pick ($5,307,120)
- Jordan McRae ($1,620,564): Early Bird rights
- Christian Wood ($1,620,564): Early Bird rights
- Jose Calderon ($1,620,564): Non-Bird rights 4
- Jameer Nelson ($1,620,564): Non-Bird rights 4
- Zaza Pachulia ($1,620,564): Non-Bird rights 4
- Kalin Lucas ($1,445,697): Non-Bird rights 4
- Isaiah Whitehead ($1,445,697): Non-Bird rights 4
- Total: $68,298,886
Offseason Cap Outlook
Trading Drummond and his massive 2020/21 player option ensured that the Pistons should be one of a small handful of teams with actual cap room available this offseason.
Even if the cap doesn’t increase beyond the ’19/20 figure and the Pistons keep their non-guaranteed youngsters (Mykhailiuk, Brown, and Thomas), along with the cap hold for Wood, they project to have at least $29MM in space available. That number would increase a little with a larger cap.
Cap Exceptions Available
- Room exception: $4,767,000 5
- Trade exception: $1,716,873 (expires 2/8/21) 6
Footnotes
- Thomas’ salary becomes fully guaranteed after October 23.
- If his team option is exercised, Mykhailiuk’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after October 22.
- Brown’s new salary guarantee date is unknown.
- The cap holds for Calderon, Nelson, Pachulia, Lucas, and Whitehead remain on the Pistons’ books because they haven’t been renounced after going unsigned in 2019/20. They can’t be used in a sign-and-trade deal.
- This is a projected value.
- The Pistons will have to renounce this exception in order to use cap room.
Note: Minimum-salary and rookie-scale cap holds are based on the salary cap and could increase or decrease depending on where the cap lands.
Salary information from Basketball Insiders and Early Bird Rights was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.