2022 April | Hoops Rumors

Poll: Memphis Grizzlies Vs. Golden State Warriors

April 30th, 2022 at 10:46am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Grizzlies, who entered the postseason as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, eliminated the Timberwolves on Friday night in dramatic fashion. They’ll get precious little time before jumping into their conference semifinal matchup with a much more seasoned postseason participant — the third-seeded Warriors. The series begins on Sunday afternoon on Memphis’ home court.

After rolling to 56 victories in the regular season, the young Grizzlies got a jolt to the system during their first-round series. They needed to stage major, and sometimes unlikely, comebacks to take care of the Timberwolves. They rallied from a 26-point deficit in Game 3 and needed a last-second Ja Morant layup to take Game 5. They outscored Minnesota 40-22 in the fourth quarter to win Game 6.

Playing catch-up against the Splash Brothers & Co. isn’t a recipe for success. Golden State holds championship banners from 2015, 2017 and 2018 and its “big three” are playing at a high level once again.

Morant and Desmond Bane will try to prove they can hold their own, or even outplay, the storied duo of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Bane averaged a team-high 23.5 PPG in the opening round. Morant had ups and downs in the series, averaging a subpar (by his standards) 21.5 PPG and 4.2 turnovers per contest. He’ll need to provide steadier production in the second round.

Dillon Brooks will be a key factor at both ends in a series that will revolve around the teams’ guards and wings. Brandon Clarke played a huge role off the bench against Minnesota but the Grizzlies will need more from Jaren Jackson Jr. (11.8 PPG, 7.2 RPG). The X-factor could be center Steven Adams, who entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols prior to Friday’s win.

Adams started regularly all season, then dropped out of the rotation because he was a bad matchup against the floor-stretching Karl-Anthony Towns. Assuming he exits protocols early in the series, Adams could play a much bigger role against Golden State, which doesn’t have a high-scoring frontcourt piece.

The Warriors come into the series confident and rested after dismissing Denver 4-1 in the opening round. Curry and Thompson combined to average 50.6 PPG in the opening round and vastly improved Jordan Poole (21.6 PPG) continued to add a potent third offensive option.

Draymond Green led the team in assists per game (7.4) against the Nuggets and will remain a heady and all-around defensive force. Gary Payton II could play a major role off the bench as a defender against Memphis’ guards.

So, which of these teams will advance to the 2022 Western Conference Finals? We want to know what you think. Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts on Warriors/Grizzlies!

Tomas Satoransky Eyes Return To Spain

April 30th, 2022 at 9:02am CST by Dana Gauruder

Tomas Satoransky is negotiating with FC Barcelona regarding a possible reunion with the Spanish team, according to Ennio Terrasi Borghesan of Sportando.

Satoransky will be an unrestricted NBA free agent this summer but apparently is looking toward overseas options. He played for three NBA teams this season — 32 games with the Pelicans, one with the Spurs and 22 more with the Wizards. In the latter stop, he appeared in 22 games (10 starts) and averaged 4.9 PPG, 4.9 APG and 2.8 RPG.

Satoransky, who was in the final season of a expiring three-year, $30MM contract, was traded twice in 2021/22 and was bought out by the Spurs. He signed with Washington after clearing waivers.

The combo guard played for Barcelona from 2014-16 before embarking on his NBA career. He has appeared in 388 NBA games, averaging 6.9 PPG and 4.1 APG in 22.2 MPG.

Timberwolves Notes: Towns, Russell, Finch, Offseason

April 30th, 2022 at 8:33am CST by Dana Gauruder

Asked about the possibility of signing a contract extension, Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns said “things will happen this summer,” Dane Moore tweets. It sounds as if Towns is intent on remaining in Minnesota for the long haul

“I love this city,” Towns said after the team was eliminated by the Grizzlies on Friday night. “So obviously things will happen this summer (and) when they happen, they happen. … I’ve been here long enough to know everyday things can change, so just be happy with where everything is at right now.”

Towns would be eligible to sign a four-year, $210.9MM super-max extension if he’s named to an All-NBA team, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN. If doesn’t make one of those three teams, a max extension would be worth $130.7MM over three years.

We have more on the Timberwolves:

D’Angelo Russell‘s subpar performances in the series could impact a potential extension for the guard, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic notes. Russell was replaced by Jordan McLaughlin in the fourth quarter of Game 6 as his offensive struggles continued. Russell scored 22 points in Game 3 but no more than 12 in any of the other five games. It remains a question about what lengths the Wolves are willing to go to keep him, Krawczynski adds. Russell is extension-eligible this summer and Minnesota can offer a four-year contract that begins in the 2023/24 season.
The Timberwolves blew another big lead in Game 6 and coach Chris Finch said they have to learn not to beat themselves in key moments, Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes. “This is a really, really good team down the hallway,” Finch said of Memphis. “They don’t beat themselves. We don’t have that in us yet.” It could lead to some roster adjustments, Finch adds. “This just provides us with the foundation to keep moving forward,” he said. “We know what this experience can do for us headed into the offseason. What we have to do better, our habits with our roster. Everything.”
Towns expressed gratitude to the Grizzlies for making his team realize what it takes in the playoffs, according to Evan Barnes of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “Being totally honest, I thank the Grizzlies for making us a better team, for us giving good fight, good series,” Towns said. “I think we all knew what this series was going to be and I think both teas showed why they deserve to be in the playoffs and why they deserve to have this chance to show what they can do.”
Depth at small and power forward are the team’s biggest needs, Marks wrote in his offseason guide. The franchise is in pretty good shape in terms of assets and the salary cap. It has four picks in the draft (three second-rounders), the mid-level exception, a $4.8MM trade exception and $50MM in expiring contracts.

Injury Notes: Heat, Brown, Hill, Z. Williams, Reid

April 29th, 2022 at 9:49pm CST by Rory Maher

Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra was noncommittal on Friday when asked for a status update on Jimmy Butler (sore right knee) and Kyle Lowry (left hamstring), according to Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Butler missed Game 5 of Miami’s first-round series against Atlanta, while Lowry missed Games 4 and 5 after leaving Game 3 early.

“I don’t want to jump the gun on anything. I just like the progress that everybody’s made. We’ll see if they can make more progress tomorrow. It will just be a daily update,” Spoelstra said.

Butler’s injury is considered relatively minor, with no MRI or other imaging planned. Muscle strains are notoriously tricky to deal with, so Lowry might be out longer, but his hamstring strain is also not considered to be serious, per Chiang and Jackson.

“I’m expecting them to get healthy day by day, honestly,” Bam Adebayo said when asked if he expects Butler and Lowry to be available for the start of the second round. “If they can go, they can go. If they’re not, we got to go out there regardless. You can’t push back Game 1.”

Here are some more postseason injury notes from around the NBA:

Head coach Ime Udoka told reporters, including Jay King of The Athletic (Twitter links), that Celtics star Jaylen Brown is dealing with hamstring tightness and had it evaluated recently. Despite the injury, Brown is expected to play in Game 1 against Milwaukee on Sunday.
George Hill (abdominal strain) was unable to practice on Friday, per Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer. He’s out for Game 1 but the team is hopeful he might return during the second-round series against Boston, tweets Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The veteran guard missed the entire first-round series against Chicago with the injury and hasn’t played since April 8.
Grizzlies rookie wing Ziaire Williams (right knee soreness) was unavailable for Friday’s Game 6 contest against the Timberwolves, the team announced (via Twitter). He’d previously been listed as doubtful. Wolves big man Naz Reid also missed Game 6 due to personal reasons (Twitter link via Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic).

Joel Embiid Out Indefinitely With Orbital Fracture, Concussion

April 29th, 2022 at 9:10pm CST by Rory Maher

9:10pm: Like Neubeck, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN hears from sources that Embiid’s orbital fracture might not require surgery. He’ll be reevaluated next week but will miss a minimum of five days due to the concussion. With the caveat that there’s still no timetable for his potential return, sources tell Shelburne that “the door isn’t closed” on that possibility (Twitter links).

7:57pm: Sixers star Joel Embiid suffered a right orbital fracture and mild concussion in the team’s Game 6 victory over Toronto on Thursday, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter), who says the center will be sidelined with no timetable for a return.

The Sixers have confirmed the news, according to Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice (Twitter link). Embiid will be listed as out and his status will be updated “as appropriate.”

As ESPN’s Tim Bontemps notes (via Twitter), the injury appeared to occur when Embiid was hit in the face by an inadvertent elbow from Pascal Siakam late in the fourth quarter of the 132-97 blowout win. Philadelphia was up 29 points at the time, with only four minutes remaining, Derek Bodner of The Daily Six newsletter tweets.

Embiid had already been playing through pain for the past week after he tore a ligament in his right thumb in Game 3 of the first-round series, which will require surgery in the offseason.

Obviously, it’s devastating news for both Embiid personally and for Philadelphia’s title hopes. Any prolonged absence will have a profound impact on the team’s upcoming series against Miami, which starts on Monday. The Heat are the No. 1 seed in the East and hold home-court advantage over the No. 4 Sixers.

The 28-year-old big man is an MVP finalist for the second consecutive season after a phenomenal regular season in which he averaged a league-best 30.6 points along with 11.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.5 blocks on .499/.371/.814 shooting in 68 games (33.8 minutes). Despite playing through the torn thumb ligament for three-plus games, he averaged an impressive 26.2 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in the team’s six-game series win over the Raptors.

This is the second orbital fracture Embiid has sustained in his career, Neubeck writes in a story for PhillyVoice. The first occurred on the left side of his face in 2018, with Embiid undergoing surgery and ultimately missing 22 days and 10 games (including two playoff games), which is the average recovery timeline for the injury, per Jeff Stotts of InStreetClothes.com (Twitter thread). There’s no indication yet that a surgery will be required this time around, Neubeck notes.

With Embiid sidelined, the Sixers will lean heavily on James Harden, Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris for offense, but there will be a giant hole in the middle of the lineup with their best player out. Backup big men Paul Reed, DeAndre Jordan and Paul Millsap are candidates to see additional action in Embiid’s stead.

Tim Connelly Discusses Nuggets’ Roster, Future

April 29th, 2022 at 7:30pm CST by Rory Maher

Following the team’s first-round exit at the hands of Golden State, Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly discussed a number of topics on Friday at his season-ending press conference, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post. Connelly said signing Nikola Jokic to a super-max extension this summer is a top priority.

“It’s a pretty big (priority),” Connelly said. “… There’s nothing more important, organizationally, than to make sure Nikola stays here as long as he wants to play the game.”

Connelly also reflected on giving Michael Porter Jr. a five-year, maximum-salary extension prior to the 2021/22 season. Porter appeared in just nine games this season and clearly wasn’t himself prior to being shutdown and undergoing lumbar spine surgery in December, his third back surgery since 2017.

“You analyze everything. Oftentimes the best indicator of future health is current health,” Connelly said. “Unfortunately, he had the injuries he dealt with this year. The previous couple years going into that contractual negotiation (last summer) we felt pretty good about it. Certainly his numbers were reflective of a guy that you’re going to have to give a lot of money.

“Hindsight is 20/20. I think we looked as much as we can. We’ve tended to be a team that rewards guys earlier instead of getting to the marketplace. We’re really looking forward to him being fully healthy, and I know he’s working his butt off to achieve that goal.”

The president said the reason the team never officially ruled out Porter or Jamal Murray for the season was because only the players knew how they felt: “It’s their body. … Whenever there’s an injury, the player has to have the loudest voice.”

Denver never applied pressure for either player to make a return if they felt they weren’t ready, Connelly added. Both players confirmed to the media that they were aligned with management’s thinking, Singer notes. Murray, who missed the entire season after suffering a torn left ACL last April, said he’s “not even sure if he’s 85% right now,” according to Singer (Twitter link).

Here are some more quotes from Connelly, courtesy of Singer:

Connelly said the small forward position and wing defense are areas that need to be addressed in the offseason. “Whenever you lose you have to be extremely self-critical and analyze areas where we’re not where we need to be. Losing Mike (Porter) was really big, but losing PJ Dozier, that was really two guys, all our depth at the small forward position, so we had to play some pretty wonky lineups. … I think it’s pretty evident where we need to get better.”
Connelly on DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins, who’s an unrestricted free agent: “Boogie was fantastic. He brought a ton. … He helped stabilize that second unit.” The team plans to talk to Cousins about his future soon, Singer tweets.
Denver wants to retain two-way player Davon Reed and only decided against converting him to a standard deal (to become playoff-eligible) because it would’ve meant cutting someone else (Twitter link via Singer). “He’s a guy that we’re very high on for the future,” Connelly said.
Connelly on the possibility of paying the luxury tax next season and/or in the future: “If the team is good enough, (ownership will) pay accordingly.“

Lakers To Interview Darvin Ham For Head Coaching Job

April 29th, 2022 at 5:39pm CST by Rory Maher

The Lakers have requested permission to interview Bucks lead assistant Darvin Ham for their open head coaching position, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times confirms Charania’s report, citing a person close to the situation who says the team has been granted permission to interview Ham.

Ham started his NBA career as a player, appearing in 417 games from 1996-2005 and winning a championship as a bit player for the Pistons in 2004. As Bill Oram and Eric Nehm of The Athletic note, Ham first made the transition to coaching in the G League as an assistant, and later as a general manager and head coach.

The 48-year-old has ties to the Lakers organization, as his first role as an NBA assistant coach came with L.A. from 2011-2013. Ham has spent the last nine seasons working under head coach Mike Budenholzer in Atlanta and now Milwaukee, winning a title with the Bucks last season.

Ham was considered a top candidate to become the Wizards’ new head coach last July, but Washington ultimately decided to hire Wes Unseld Jr. instead. The Kings also intend to interview Ham for their head coaching job, which is unfilled after Sacramento parted ways with interim head coach Alvin Gentry earlier this month.

There have been rumors that the Lakers are interested in Jazz head coach Quin Snyder, but he’s still under contract with Utah. Ham is the first coach to be officially linked to the vacancy in Los Angeles.

Jazz Rumors: Snyder, Mitchell, Gobert, Offseason

April 29th, 2022 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Although the Jazz were eliminated in the first round for the third time in four years, the team’s ownership and management groups don’t consider head coach Quin Snyder part of the problem in Utah, sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic. The comments made by general manager Justin Zanik during a media session on Friday certainly back that up.

“Quin Snyder is one of the best coaches in the NBA,” Zanik said, according to Erik Walden and Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. “There is no other partner I would rather have as a coach and as a leader of our players and as a partner in our front office than Quin Snyder.”

According to Amick, Snyder has one guaranteed year left on his contract with the Jazz, then has an option year (the option decision is Snyder’s, not the team’s) for 2023/24. However, sources tell The Athletic that the head coach has been unsure for much of the year what his future holds and plans to assess his options now that the season is over. Staying with the Jazz, going to a new team, or even taking a year off are all options, Amick writes.

Veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein, who first reported on the Snyder situation in March, says today that the Lakers‘ interest in the veteran coach is serious, but adds that there’s skepticism in coaching circles that Snyder would leave Utah for Los Angeles, given the drama that surrounded Frank Vogel during his tenure with the team.

Stein, who reiterates that the Jazz unsuccessfully tried to extend Snyder prior to the 2021/22 season, agrees with Amick that the idea of the 55-year-old taking a year off isn’t out of the question. Snyder is “known to be held in high regard” by the Spurs, according to Stein, who suggests that a one-year hiatus from coaching could put him in position to become Gregg Popovich‘s successor.

Here’s more on the Jazz:

In addition to relaying Zanik’s comments about Snyder, Walden and Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune passed along several more of the most interesting quotes from the general manager’s Friday press conference. Notably, Zanik dismissed the idea that the interpersonal dynamics of Utah’s players – including Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert – are a concern. “They’ve given themselves to each other. And all the outside narratives is just a bunch of noise,” Zanik said. “Internally, I see it every day. These guys care about each other.” The GM also referred to Mitchell and Gobert as “foundational pieces.”
In a fascinating story for ESPN.com, Tim MacMahon takes a look at some of the steps the Jazz have taken to make sure Mitchell is comfortable in Utah and explains why multiple teams have been monitoring the situation closely in anticipation of the All-Star guard possibly asking to be traded. Within a story about the Knicks‘ ongoing interest in Mitchell, Marc Berman of The New York Post says league sources have speculated about the Heat being a potential landing spot for the 25-year-old.
As MacMahon outlines, Mitchell became the fourth player of 18 (at the time) who signed rookie scale extensions since the 2011 lockout to get a player option in his contract, and the first three (Paul George, Kyrie Irving, and Anthony Davis) all pushed for trades before those deals expired. Some rival executives have also speculated that market size is important to Mitchell, says MacMahon, whose story is worth reading in full.
According to John Hollinger of The Athletic, if Danny Ainge and the Jazz want to seriously shake up their roster this summer, trading Gobert would be the most logical way to do it. Hollinger identifies some hypothetical trade partners if Utah decides to go that route, breaking down how a Gobert deal might work for the Hornets, Hawks, Raptors, Knicks, or Grizzlies.

Western Notes: Prince, Dinwiddie, Nance, Kings

April 29th, 2022 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Timberwolves forward Taurean Prince will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, but he said on Friday that he “plans to return” to Minnesota for next season, as Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News relays (video link).

Prince told reporters that the strong camaraderie in the Wolves’ locker room is something he hasn’t experienced since college and praised head coach Chris Finch, comparing him to Mike Budenholzer, who coached Prince in Atlanta at the start of his NBA career. The 28-year-old added that he hopes Minnesota reciprocates his interest.

Prince averaged 7.3 PPG and 2.5 RPG on .454/.376/.756 shooting in 69 regular season games (17.1 MPG) during his first year in Minnesota. The Wolves will hold his Bird rights this summer, so they would be able to go over the cap to re-sign him without using any of their mid-level exception.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

Mavericks guard Spencer Dinwiddie earned a $100K bonus on Thursday when Dallas beat Utah to advance to the second round, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Dinwiddie would receive another $571K if the Mavs get past Phoenix and earn a spot in the Western Conference Finals.
Having played for four teams and eight head coaches since entering the NBA in 2015, Pelicans forward Larry Nance Jr. would welcome some stability and said on Friday that he’d like to make New Orleans his permanent home, tweets William Guillory of The Athletic. Nance has just one year left on his current contract, but will be extension-eligible this offseason.
With Monte McNair believed to be entering the final guaranteed year of his contract with the Kings, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee wonders if the general manager will feel pressure to hire a veteran head coach such as Mike D’Antoni instead of a candidate without any head coaching experience.

Bulls Notes: LaVine, Roster Decisions, Offseason

April 29th, 2022 at 1:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking today to reporters, including K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter links), Bulls president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas said his hope is to have Zach LaVine in Chicago going forward and that he’s confident the two sides can work out a new deal, given their strong relationship. LaVine will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Addressing LaVine’s left knee injury, which was a nagging issue for much of the 2021/22 season, Karnisovas suggested it’s unlikely to be a major factor in free agency negotiations and that a final determination hasn’t been made on whether the All-Star guard will require surgery. As Johnson notes, an MRI on the knee showed nothing structurally wrong that would create long-term concern, but surgery still appears likely.

In his own session with the media, LaVine confirmed that he’s going to meet with his doctor in Los Angeles to determine the best plan of action for his knee (Twitter link via Johnson). He also stated that free agency is a “big decision” for him and his family and that he intends to take his time to consider all his options (Twitter link via Johnson).

While LaVine said he’ll leave it to his agent and the Bulls’ front office to try to work out a deal, he admitted that being a maximum-salary player is important to him, tweets Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago: “I see myself as a top guy in this league and I think I’ve proven that over the last four years.”

Here’s more on the Bulls:

Besides retaining LaVine, Karnisovas likes the idea of keeping the Bulls’ roster mostly intact and making minor changes around the edges, tweets Schaefer. “Hopefully we can keep the core together and work around the margins,” Karnisovas said.
Lonzo Ball is on board with Karnisovas’ plan to maintain the current core, writes Sam Smith of Bulls.com. “I would love to run it back,” Ball said. “I was unhealthy this year. (Alex) Caruso went down. Pat(rick Williams) was pretty much out all the way until the playoffs. Everyone knows Zach was playing hurt pretty much this whole year. If everybody can get healthy and come back, I don’t see why we couldn’t run it back.” DeMar DeRozan added that he has “the utmost trust and faith in the front office to do the job,” Smith writes.
In his Bulls offseason preview, Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype examines LaVine’s free agency, a possible extension for Nikola Vucevic, and more.

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