T.J. McConnell Likely To Stay With Pacers
The Pacers plan to keep T.J. McConnell on the roster for another season at $3.5MM rather than buying out his contract for $1MM, a source tells J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star. The team hasn’t made an announcement, but Michael reports that McConnell is “a lock to return.”
The 28-year-old point guard signed with Indiana last summer after spending the first four years of his career in Philadelphia. His contract includes a trigger date for year two that the Pacers have to decide on before the draft, which has since been moved to November 18.
McConnell isn’t a three-point threat, shooting just 29.4% from beyond the arc, but Indiana’s management values his professionalism, hustle and attitude, Michael adds. He appeared in 71 games last season, averaging 6.5 points and 5.0 assists in about 19 minutes per night.
Former coach Nate McMillan regularly used McConnell ahead of Aaron Holiday in the rotation. Their roles going forward will be determined by new coach Nate Bjorkgren.
Draft Notes: Haliburton, Wiseman, Ball, International Players
In a draft full of uncertain prospects, Iowa State’s Tyrese Haliburton may be the safest pick, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. Haliburton offers good size for a point guard at 6’5″ with a 6’9″ wingspan. He’s also an elite passer, an effective shooter and has natural leadership qualities.
“I’ve had a lot of No. 1, No. 2 picks, and this guy is a difference maker,” said Joe Abunassar, who trained Haliburton at Impact Basketball in Las Vegas after the season was shut down. “As teams look at him, part of that is his approach, his mentality, his personality. Everyone steps up their game when he steps in the game. He’s the most humble guy. I know with him, what you’re getting is a guy that’s going to win games for your franchise.”
Abunasser said Haliburton has gotten stronger since the college basketball season ended, adding roughly 15 to 18 pounds to his frame. With so many lottery teams needing a point guard, he could go higher than projected on draft night.
“He’s a winner. He has an amazing personality,” Abunassar added. “He’s contagious. He’s something that if I was a GM, I’d say we need guys like that.”
There’s more draft news to pass along:
- There’s increasing chatter around the league that former Memphis center James Wiseman is the most likely No. 1 pick, according to Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. Sources tell Wasserman that some Golden State officials believe Wiseman will be selected first, whether the Timberwolves keep their pick or not. Sources also say the Hornets “want Wiseman badly” and are interested in trading up to get him.
- Warriors ownership may put pressure on the front office to select LaMelo Ball with the second pick if Wiseman is off the board, Wasserman adds in the same story. A source close to the team claims Ball has supporters and detractors in the front office. Golden State remains in the market to trade down, with Deni Avdija and Devin Vassell as possible targets.
- More international prospects have pulled their names out of the draft ahead of today’s deadline, according to Nicola Lupo of Sportando. Nikola Miskovic, Marko Simonovic and Darko Bajo, all of ABA Liga, have all withdrawn. At No. 70, Simonovic was the only one in ESPN’s list of the top 100 prospects. Serbian big man Filip Petrusev (story link), who is 59th on ESPN’s list, and Lithuanian guard Rokas Jokubaitis (story link) are also skipping this year’s draft. On Saturday, we shared decisions from seven other overseas players.
Rockets’ New GM: We’re Still ‘All In’ To Contend
The Rockets have undergone a leadership change in the past month, hiring a new general manager and coach, but it hasn’t affected their commitment to being a title contender, GM Rafael Stone tells Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Stone, who had been executive vice president of basketball operations, was promoted when Daryl Morey parted ways with the organization last month. He said the team remains “all in” in its quest for a championship.
The makeup of Houston’s roster explains the commitment to trying to win right away. James Harden and Russell Westbrook are both 31 and can opt out after the 2021/22 season. Rotation members P.J. Tucker, Jeff Green and Eric Gordon are all over 30 as well.
“The good news is we have really, really good basketball players. I don’t view it as perilous. I view it as a unique opportunity,” Stone said. “I’m getting a talented roster that has already won; not to the level we want but won in a big way. It’s about being very smart to keep the good stuff and be additive. You don’t want to do anything rash. You want to see if there are changes that will help. You don’t want to ad hoc make changes here and there. It’s a really cool opportunity because we’re going to win basketball games. That’s a great place to start.”
Stone touched on several other topics in the interview with Feigen, including:
The decision to hire Stephen Silas as head coach:
“We have a lot of similarities, educationally, background; we’re basically the same age. Even though this is our first opportunity, him as a head coach, me as a GM, respectively, we’re not getting it early in our careers. … He emphasized he wanted to be collaborative. I emphasized I wanted to be collaborative. We’ve been extremely collaborative. That’s great. That’s naturally how I go about things and I think how he goes about things.”
How personnel decisions will be influenced by the luxury tax:
“There are perhaps benefits to avoid it, but we’re planning to be in it. We were planning to be in it two years ago and I think last year. A lot of this is just what happens circumstantially there. There was a deal we for sure would have done last year at the trade deadline that would have had us well, well over the tax line. A team called and we said ‘yes.’ They chose not to do it. It’s not the cash-based decision people think it is. It is more the framework for how you build your roster. That’s still where we are. We’re certainly planning to be in the luxury tax this year. If a great deal appears and we end up shedding salary, we’d do that deal and then probably try to re-spend the salary. There’s no pressure whatsoever to not be in, but real pressure to win.”
Plans for the mid-level exception (projected to be about $5.7MM for taxpaying teams):
“We think we can bring in guys that can be very helpful there. That’s a way of getting depth. And, is there a guy we think we can get at mid-level we think is really good value? If that’s the case, we’re just going to do it, period. It’s all about talent. If we think a guy is better than the market thinks he is, we’re going to want to go get that guy. Mid-level is the best tool we have. We’re just going to be aggressive to try to get talent. Last year, we used it for Danuel House. We didn’t use all of it in that situation. It’s largely based on the market.”
“We certainly wouldn’t mind getting into the draft, particularly if somebody becomes available we think will help us win now. We’re still in the win-now more than the develop four or five years from now mode. There are guys in the draft I think can play right away. We’ve had teams tell us they would be open to (a trade). I think we probably can get draft picks if the right guy is there.”
Community Shootaround: 72-Game Schedule
For decades, there have been complaints that the NBA’s season is too long. Playing 82 games dilutes the product, critics claim, and lessens the importance of each one. It also creates a marathon atmosphere that presents a high risk of injury and causes players to sometimes seem unmotivated.
People who have wanted to see the league try a shorter schedule are about to get their wish. After the chaos caused last season by the pandemic, the NBA and its players union have agreed to take steps toward a normal timeline by adopting a 72-game schedule that will start December 22.
Details on how those 72 games will be allocated still have to be worked out. The NBA hopes to reduce travel during the upcoming season, so games between teams from the Eastern and Western conferences could be reduced or even eliminated. An All-Star break is still expected in March, although it hasn’t been determined if it will include normal All-Star Weekend activities. A play-in tournament could also be adopted.
If the upcoming season is successful, the league may attempt to keep the shorter schedule, writes Jabari Young of CNBC.
“I would argue, with a leap of faith, that we’ll never see 82 again,” said Tony Ponturo, CEO of Ponturo Management Group, a marketing consulting firm. “It’s going to be better across the board of quality basketball and healthier athletes. You take the (revenue) hit and figure out how to make it up in other ways.”
Young also cites comments from NBA president of operations Byron Spruell, who suggested at the Disney World complex that the league would be open to schedule changes if they result in a better product. Another idea being considered is adopting series schedules, much like Major League Baseball, to make road trips less exhausting.
“Having this experience around being on a campus, with health and safety first – there are a lot of learnings that make you think about,” Spruell said in August. “Is there something in between given where the pandemic might be next season, given the experience we’re seeing from our teams and players in this campus format? Is there something in between that we’ll be able to accomplish, too?”
The obvious concern with a shorter schedule is the lost revenue as each team has five fewer home games. Young cites several ways to make up the difference, including higher ticket prices as games become more scarce, increased revenue from the play-in games and additional sponsorship opportunities.
We want to get your opinion. Do you believe there would be a noticeable difference in the quality of play with a permanent 72-game schedule or would you prefer to see the league continue with its traditional 82-game slate? Please leave your answer in the comments section.
Northwest Notes: Wolves’ No. 1 Pick, M. Morris, Thunder, McDaniels
The Timberwolves haven’t received tempting offers yet for the top pick in next week’s draft, but executive vice president Sachin Gupta said “three phone” time is coming soon, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. That’s what Gupta calls the days immediately before the draft when front office members are balancing several phone calls at once.
“There’s not a whole lot of pleasantries that are happening with those calls,” he said. “There’s no time for it. It’s, ‘What do you want? What do you got for me?’ ”
Minnesota should find a lot of interest in the top selection between now and November 18. The Warriors and Hornets are both believed to be eyeing former Memphis center James Wiseman, while Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball may entice other teams to move up. The Wolves could have the luxury of playing teams against each another to drive up offers.
“We’ve always been active, and with these types of assets at our disposal, it really plays into sort of our mentality of turning over every rock and figuring out what all the possibilities are,” Gupta said.
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Monte Morris could be the key to bringing Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday to Denver, suggests Mike Singer of The Denver Post. Singer states that the Nuggets would probably have to part with Gary Harris or Will Barton in a potential deal, along with Bol Bol. Throwing in Morris, who’s hoping for an extension this offseason, might be enough to get a deal done. Singer admits it’s a lot to part with, but contends that adding Holiday could give Denver the league’s best starting five.
- A potential December 22 starting date for the new season leaves the Thunder with little time to address a lot of business, notes Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. Oklahoma City is the only team without a head coach, and Chris Paul is among the most prominent names on the trade market. Danilo Gallinari, Nerlens Noel and Andre Roberson will all become free agents later this month, while Abdel Nader, Hamidou Diallo and Deonte Burton have team options ranging from $1.66MM to $1.75MM and Mike Muscala has a $2.3MM player option. Mussatto believes Gallinari will consider staying with the Thunder if Paul isn’t traded.
- The Jazz worked out Washington small forward Jaden McDaniels, tweets Tony Jones of The Athletic.
Raptors Still Hoping To Play In Toronto
The Raptors have plenty of options if they need to find a temporary home in the United States, but team officials are optimistic that they will be able to play the upcoming season in Toronto, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post.
Sources tell Berman that the NBA is working with the U.S. and Canadian governments to develop new guidelines regarding visiting teams coming into Toronto. Canada currently has restrictions on travel from the United States to protect against the spread of COVID-19.
The Raptors believe they can find a safe way to resume playing at their home court at Scotiabank Arena, Berman adds, although it’s unlikely that fans will be allowed in the facility when NBA games resume next month. Government-sponsored coronavirus tests may be required for all visiting teams when they arrive at the Toronto airport, according to sources.
Kansas City, Seattle, Nashville, Buffalo and Tampa Bay have been mentioned as potential locations for the Raptors this season if Canadian travel restrictions remain in place. The Nets’ former arena in Newark has also been floated as a possibility considering the league’s intent to cut down on travel, but sources tell Berman all those cities should be considered “long shots.”
Several International Players Pull Out Of Draft
Sunday marks the deadline to withdraw from the NBA draft, and a handful of international players have reached their decisions. The date doesn’t affect college players because the NCAA set an Aug. 3 deadline for players to remove their names from the draft and retain their eligibility.
- Lithuanian guard Arnas Velicka has decided to take his name out of the draft, tweets Nicola Lupo of Sportando. Velicka currently plays in France.
- Belgian guard Joel Ekamba is skipping this year’s draft, a source tells Lupo. The 19-year-old also plays in France.
- Brancou “Papi” Badio of Senegal has decided to withdraw, according to Lupo. The 21-year-old guard is playing his first season on the senior team for FC Barcelona.
- Also removing his name from the draft is Greek guard Nikos Rogkavopoulos, Lupo adds. Rogkavopoulos is playing this season with AEK Athens.
- Greek shooting guard Georgios Kalaitzakis is withdrawing, agent Marius Rutkauskas confirmed to Lithuanian basketball writer Donatas Urbonas (Twitter link). Kalaitzakis is ranked 90th on ESPN’s list of the top 100 prospects.
- Lithuanian center Marek Blazevic is pulling out of the draft, sources tell Urbonas (Twitter link). He currently plays for Zalgiris Kaunas of the Lithuanian Basketball League.
- Deciding to remain in the draft is Adrian Bogucki, a 20-year-old center from Poland, according to Lupo. The 7’1″ Bogucki is playing in Poland and has been part of the U16, U18 and U20 Polish national teams.
Sixers To Hire Popeye Jones As Assistant Coach
Former Pacers assistant Popeye Jones will join Doc Rivers‘ coaching staff in Philadelphia, tweets Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. A Sixers source confirmed the news to Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Jones, who had been with Indiana since 2013, becomes the second former Pacers coach to work under Rivers, joining defensive specialist Dan Burke, who was hired last month. Sam Cassell, Dave Joerger and Brian Adams have also been added to Rivers’ staff.
Jones turned to coaching after playing 11 years in the NBA. He started as a player development coach with the Mavericks in 2007, then got his first job as an assistant with the Nets in 2010. He spent three years there before joining the Pacers.
Levick cited a 2019 interview in which Jones talked about his coaching influences.
“You try to take something away from each guy you played for, and that you worked for as a coach,” he said. “There’s Dick Motta, my first coach — I take a lot from him. I played for Doug Collins, who I love, who’s a perfectionist. I take a lot from him. I worked for Rick Carlisle for a year. I worked for Avery Johnson, who came out of the San Antonio system under (Gregg Popovich). Frank Vogel, who was great in Indiana, I learned from him. And then there’s Nate (McMillan) … all those guys have been instrumental in developing me as a coach.”
Knicks Reportedly Interested In Justin Holiday
As the Knicks shape the organization’s plans entering free agency and the 2020/21 campaign, people within the organization are interested in a reunion with Justin Holiday, SNY’s Ian Begley writes.
Holiday, 31, played with the Knicks during the 2016/17 campaign as he appeared in all 82 games (four starts). The California native was an effective bench piece for New York, averaging 7.7 PPG and 2.7 RPG while shooting a career-best 43.3% from the field.
As Begley writes, Holiday is viewed by many as a steadying locker room presence and reliable veteran that can help any team. He spent last season with the Pacers alongside one of his two NBA brothers, Aaron Holiday. Indiana made the postseason but lost to the Heat in a four-game sweep.
While several reports indicate that the Pacers are focused on re-signing the unrestricted free agent, Holiday should have no shortage of potential suitors this winter.
Warriors Leaning Toward Anthony Edwards With No. 2 Pick?
The Warriors reportedly see superstar potential within Georgia’s Anthony Edwards and would draft him with the second overall pick, Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle writes.
While Golden State is open to trading down from the second pick, the franchise reportedly believes that Edwards can “blossom into a face of a franchise and multi-time All-Star if put in the right situation.” Therefore, should the Timberwolves pass on Edwards first overall, Golden State would likely draft him, sources tell Letourneau.
In a draft class that short of franchise-altering players, Edwards and his 6’5″, 225-pound frame makes for an interesting prospect. While his defense has been flagged as a weakness, he showed in college an ability to use his build to attack the rim and knock down jump shots with regularity.
With Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson expected back for the 2020/21 campaign, and other pieces such as Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins in the fold, Edwards’ impact may not be immediate. However, with a strong roster surrounding him, it could give him time to develop in a reserve role, Letourneau adds.
Of course, it’s worth noting that the Warriors’ rumored draft preferences have been all over the place for months, with one story from Bleacher Report earlier this week indicating that Golden State is higher on James Wiseman than Edwards. As such, it’s fair to assume there’s smokescreen potential here and nothing’s set in stone yet. Still, Letourneau has been reporting the Warriors’ interest in Edwards as far back as June.