Belinelli Will Look To Remain In NBA In Free Agency
Whenever the NBA’s 2020 offseason eventually arrives, Marco Belinelli‘s contract will expire and he’ll reach the open market as an unrestricted free agent. Addressing his upcoming free agency in an interview with L’Avvenire (hat tip to Eurohoops.net), the Italian guard didn’t close the door on a potential return to Europe, but stressed that his goal is to remain in the NBA.
“The priority is to stay on an NBA team to try and win another title,” Belinelli said. “But I don’t rule out other options.”
Belinelli, who turned 34 in March, began his professional career in Italy, playing for Virtus Bologna and Fortitudo Bologna from 2002-07. However, he has been in the NBA since being drafted by Golden State in 2007, spending the last two seasons in San Antonio with the Spurs.
A productive role player for over a decade, the former first-round pick has seen his role shrink in 2019/20. Belinelli has averaged just 5.8 PPG in 15.0 MPG off the Spurs’ bench — he hasn’t posted numbers that low since he was a 21-year-old rookie in 2007/08. The veteran’s shooting percentages, including a .391 FG%, are also below his career rates, though he’s still making 36.8% of his three-point attempts.
Given his age and his declining NBA role, it wouldn’t be a huge shock if Belinelli opted to finish his career in Europe, where he’d be more of a primary option and could perhaps earn more than the NBA’s minimum salary. However, based on his comments about pursuing another title, it sounds like his offseason goal will be to catch on with a contending NBA team.
Heat Notes: Butler, Haslem, Iguodala, Facilities
After rumors of discontent and/or tension with teammates followed Jimmy Butler from Chicago to Minnesota to Philadelphia, we’ve heard nothing but rave reviews this season about his fit in Miami. During a weekend appearance on Instagram Live with Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe, Butler confirmed that he’s “hella happy” with the Heat, as Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald relay.
“Without a doubt. There ain’t a better place to be for me. Miami is it,” Butler said. “We got the right young guys, we got the right vets. (The young guys) get it. They get it and they’re thirsty to get back to hooping. I think I built bonds with a lot of my teammates on all my former teams. But this organization is special.”
According to The Herald duo, Butler also suggested that he likely won’t be part of USA Basketball’s 12-man roster for the Tokyo Olympics, which have been rescheduled for 2021. The star swingman won a gold medal with Team USA in Rio De Janeiro in 2016, but indicated he’s prioritizing the NBA over international competitions at this point in his career.
“I told (Carmelo Anthony) that if he plays (in the Olympics), I play,” Butler joked. “‘Melo said that he’s not playing.”
Here’s more on the Heat:
- Appearing this week on NBA TV (video link), Heat veteran Udonis Haslem admitted that the unusual circumstances of the NBA’s suspended season may influence his decision on whether to retire this offseason or return for another year. “One thing that I’ve always wanted is to be able to do is leave this game on my own terms,” Haslem said, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “Another thing that I’ve always wanted is to be able to have the opportunity to create a pathway for the next generation, as far as passing on the Heat culture. And the third thing that I wanted to do was to be able to leave this game with an opportunity to make a good playoff run. All three of those things have been taken out of my control right now. So we’ll just have to see.”
- The NBA plans to allow teams to reopen their facilities for workouts as early as Friday, but the Heat don’t intend to start that process until Monday at the earliest, a source tells Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. The team also plans to call back Butler and Andre Iguodala soon, according to Winderman, who notes that the two veterans – both in California – are the only two players currently away from South Florida.
- As Winderman observes in another Sun-Sentinel article, if the NBA ultimately decides to shift its annual calendar and start the regular season in December on a permanent basis, it could open the door for the Heat to once again host the All-Star Game. The usual February dates have been problematic for the city, since the Miami International Boat Show and Coconut Grove Arts Festival generally take place on the same weekend. The All-Star Game hasn’t taken place in Miami since 1990 and has never been played at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Latest On Team Facilities Opening Up
While shelter-in-place restrictions are easing up in some locations, NBA teams in those areas are still likely to wait until next week to open up their practice facilities, Marc Stein of The New York Times tweets. The Magic, one of the teams in a state where restrictions have been loosened, have not committed to opening up yet, telling Stein that they want to reopen as smoothly as possible.
Before anything happens, the NBA must officially allow facilities to reopen, which is still expected to take place on Friday. Even with facilities open, there are specific guidelines teams must follow, such as having a maximum of four players in any facility at once. Only one player can be at a basket at a time. Participation in the facilities will be voluntary, meaning players may not even take the opportunity to use the facilities.
The league is set on attempting to finish the 2019/20 season, even if it means extending the campaign to September.
“Our league has decided that we’re going to try to get in as much of our season and playoffs as the data will allow us to,” Magic CEO Alex Martins said. “We’ll play as late as Labor Day if we have to and we’ve been having initial discussions about even delaying the start of next season based on trying to get as much as this season in as possible.”
Knicks Eyeing Draft Prospect RJ Hampton
New York won four of seven before the NBA suspended the season, placing the team in the No. 6 spot in our Reverse Standings. If they don’t move up higher in the NBA draft lottery, the Knicks will have interest in selecting RJ Hampton, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post.
Hampton skipped the traditional post-high school route to the NBA, opting for the Australian NBL over the NCAA. Some around the game believe the 6’5″ guard is a top-10 player in the draft.
“I’ve watched him since eighth grade because he’s a Dallas kid,’’ said ESPN ‘s Fran Fraschilla said, as Berman relays. “He left the U.S. a top-10 to -20 prospect. He came home a top-10 to -20 prospect. He’s an NBA athlete but could be a project. I don’t know if he was as good as the hype accorded him when he left.”
Not everyone is as bullish on Hampton. One source told Berman that the youngster could fall into the back third of the first round as a result of teams not having a normal pre-draft process to evaluate talent. It’s worth noting that the Knicks have a second first-rounder, courtesy of the Clippers via the Marcus Morris deal. It currently projects to be the No. 27 overall pick.
Central Notes: McMillan, Bulls, Buford
Pacers coach Nate McMillan has been preparing his team to play basketball again as best as he can, as Akeem Glaspie of the Indianapolis Star relays.
Not all players on the Pacers have been on equal footing during the hiatus, however. Victor Oladipo and Malcolm Brogdon are among those who have basketball courts at their homes or an established nearby place. Others, like Goga Bitadze, are living in apartments without access to gyms.
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- How will the Bulls‘ new front office operate? K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports envisions a collaborative approach, similar to Arturas Karnisovas’ stints with Denver and Houston.
- Jon Greenberg of The Athletic takes a look at the Bulls‘ past and wonders whether the new leadership is going to bring more success to Chicago. The scribe believes the new regime can be successful, though he notes that having a “players first” mentality would suit the newcomers well.
- The Bucks have locked in Chase Buford to coach their G League squad for another season, the team announced on its website. “Chase has done a tremendous job in his first season at the helm,” said Milwaukee Bucks VP of basketball operations and Wisconsin Herd GM Dave Dean. “As an organization, we’re thrilled to have Chase return for a second season, and we look forward to his leadership and continued development as we build off the current campaign.”
Lindsey: Jazz Stars Gobert, Mitchell Ready To Move Forward
Speaking today to reporters, Jazz executive VP of basketball operations Dennis Lindsey downplayed the idea that the relationship between All-Stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell remains icy.
“They’re ready to put this behind them, move forward, act professionally,” Lindsey said of the recent rift between Gobert and Mitchell (Twitter link via ESPN’s Tim MacMahon). “… We’re very pleased with the collective makeup of our group, Donovan and Rudy in particular. We look forward to moving forward.”
Lindsey added that Gobert and Mitchell “know they need each other,” as Sarah Todd of The Deseret News tweets.
There was said to be tension between the third-year guard and the two-time Defensive Player of the Year in March, stemming from their positive coronavirus tests and the cavalier attitude Gobert reportedly showed with teammates and their belongings in the days leading up to his diagnosis. Although there was a perception that Mitchell was upset with Gobert, at least one report indicated that both players had issues with one another.
That rift still existed a month later, but a subsequent report suggested the two Utah stars had begun working on repairing their relationship. Gobert confirmed at that time that he had spoken to Mitchell, adding that both players were “ready to go out there and try to win a championship” for the Jazz.
While the Jazz may eventually have to consider a major roster shakeup if they can’t break through and make a deep playoff run, the idea that coronavirus-related tension between Gobert and Mitchell would result in a blockbuster trade always seemed far-fetched. We’ll have a better sense of where things stand when teams reunite and Mitchell publicly addresses the situation, but Lindsey’s comments today indicate the organization doesn’t expect it to be an issue going forward.
Coronavirus Notes: Plumlee, Martins, More
Speaking on Tuesday to Mike Singer of The Denver Post, Nuggets center Mason Plumlee said “people are very optimistic” that the 2019/20 NBA season will be resumed and completed. Denver’s former NBPA rep, Plumlee suggested that he has learned from union meetings that there are “a lot of proposals” out there, with strategies being developed to resume play — of course, none of those scenarios will involve fans in attendance.
“People know that we’re playing for the TV at this point. It’s unrealistic to expect any kind of attendance,” Plumlee told Singer in a phone interview. “I know that they’ve talked about cutting down the travel party. I’ve heard proposals of one city, two cities, three cities with 10 teams (each), an expedited finish to the season or a differentiated version of the playoffs.”
Plumlee also expressed confidence that if and when the season is resumed, players will get a ramping-up period of at least a couple weeks, with that time essentially serving as a de facto training camp.
“Some people were pushing for four (weeks), some for two,” Plumlee said. “That remains to be seen. I don’t think that they’ll just call everybody up and within the week we’ll be having live games.”
Here’s more on the NBA’s coronavirus-related stoppage and potential plans to resume play:
- As Singer relays, Plumlee is curious to find out what next season’s schedule would look like if the 2019/20 campaign runs deep into the summer. The Nuggets big man sounds open to the December-August season proposed by Hawks CEO Steve Koonin prior to the pandemic. “It’s interesting, I know a lot of people have quoted the Atlanta Hawks (CEO), but there has been thought around starting the season later anyway based on our fall (TV) ratings,” Plumlee said. “A lot of it has to do with next season as well and if there’s a willingness to start next season in November or December. Maybe this is just something that leads to a new NBA schedule, we don’t know.”
- Magic CEO Alex Martins confirmed on Tuesday that the NBA is willing to extend its 2019/20 season into September if necessary, as Roy Parry of The Orlando Sentinel writes. “Our league has decided that we’re going to try to get in as much of our season and playoffs as the data will allow us to,” Martins told a local task force for reopening businesses. “We’ll play as late as Labor Day if we have to and – as was reported this past week – we’ve been having initial discussions about even delaying the start of next season based on trying to get as much as this season in as possible.”
- In order to better understand COVID-19 and promote efforts to develop a vaccine, the NBA and its players are supporting a Mayo Clinic study for antibodies using blood-based tests, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
- In case you missed it, here’s our Monday roundup of coronavirus-related notes.
Mark Jackson Says He Wants To Coach Again
It has now been six full years since Mark Jackson last coached an NBA game, but the former Warriors head coach confirmed during a Tuesday appearance on ESPN’s First Take that he still has interest in returning to the NBA sidelines.
Asked by hosts Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman about the Knicks‘ head coaching job and the rumors linking him to the position, Jackson didn’t specifically address the possibility of replacing Mike Miller in New York. However, he joked that he appreciates “the chatter” and confirmed he’d welcome the opportunity to coach an NBA team again, whether or not that team is the Knicks.
“There are 30 NBA jobs. I don’t minimize myself to one,” Jackson said (video link). “I look forward to one day coaching again, it’s a dream of mine. … I had an incredible time in Golden State coaching for three years, developing incredible relationships, and having some success. And I look forward to the challenge of doing it once again somewhere.”
Jackson was hired by the Warriors in 2011, and after winning just 23 games in the strike-shortened 2011/12 campaign, he guided the team to 47- and 51-win seasons in the next two years, winning a playoff series in 2013. Golden State ultimately didn’t get over the hump until the following season, when Steve Kerr took over and led the team to the first of three titles in a four-year stretch.
Over the last several years, Jackson has been an analyst for ABC and ESPN. However, his name continues to pop up for certain high-profile coaching jobs. Besides being identified as a possible option for the Knicks, Jackson is also rumored to be on the Nets‘ preliminary list of potential candidates.
BIG3 Postponing Quarantined Tournament, 2020 Season
The BIG3 will postpone a quarantined, reality show-style, three-on-three tournament that the league had been hoping to launch in May, reports Mark Medina of USA Today. According to Medina, the BIG3’s 2020 regular season, which had been scheduled to tip off on June 20, will also be delayed.
A source tells Medina that the quarantined tournament will be pushed back to August or September, while the start of the regular season will be postponed until sometime in the fall or winter.
“It’s a fluid situation,” a person familiar with the situation told Medina. “It’s hard to provide a fixed date, but it’s happening.”
As we outlined in March, the BIG3 is aiming to hold a 16-player tournament in which all participants are quarantined together in a single Los Angeles-area home. The televised show would broadcast the three-on-three games in addition to capturing behind-the-scenes footage of the players living in the house — media production company Endemal, which has produced Big Brother, is expected to be involved.
The BIG3 had initially planned to launch the tournament in April or May, but is still working on finalizing the participants. Additionally, since the BIG3 is planning on conducting coronavirus tests on all the players and officials involved in the event, the league is sensitive to ongoing testing shortages elsewhere in the country. The league also wants to address safety concerns for players who would be traveling in from out of state.
BIG3 founder Ice Cube had hinted on Monday that the event would have to be delayed, suggesting that the timeline is somewhat out of the league’s hands.
“The BIG3 is ready to go but we can’t move faster than the government and the networks,” he tweeted. “We’re in a holding pattern until restrictions and schedules are worked out, ya dig?”
Sixers Notes: Simmons, Embiid, Front Office
After an April report suggested that Sixers star Ben Simmons is expected to return from his back injury if the 2019/20 season resumes, general manager Elton Brand was asked today during a call with reporters about Simmons’ status.
According to Derek Bodner of The Athletic (Twitter link), Brand confirmed that the former No. 1 overall pick is doing “really, really well” in his recovery and that the club is optimistic about his outlook.
“It’s tough (to speculate about a timeline) because of him not playing three-on-three (or) five-on-five,” Brand said, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (all Twitter links). “… But when I FaceTime him during his workouts, during his treatment and I see him, I’d be highly encouraged that his ramp-up would be different. We took our time. We’ve been methodical and thoughtful about his recovery and rehab just to make sure, because we weren’t in a rush. It’s hard to speculate, but he’s been working hard, and I know he’d be closer or ready.”
Here’s more on Simmons and the Sixers:
- Simmons and center Joel Embiid were permitted to use the team’s practice facility during the hiatus for rehab purposes, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Brand confirmed as much today, as Pompey details in a tweet of his own.
- The Sixers lost their senior vice president of player personnel to Chicago last week when Marc Eversley was hired as the Bulls’ new general manager. Asked today about Eversley’s departure, Brand said no decision has been made yet about whether the club will directly replace the veteran executive. According to Bodner (Twitter link), Brand suggested that the 76ers are always looking for ways to improve the organization, but are happy with who they have in the front office.
- In an article for The Athletic, Bodner poses the most pressing question facing each of the Sixers’ five original starters this season. Bodner looks at Embiid’s conditioning, Simmons’ jump shot, and also raises questions for Josh Richardson, Tobias Harris, and Al Horford.