Grizzlies Sign Taylor Jenkins To Contract Extension
The Grizzlies have signed head coach Taylor Jenkins to a multiyear contract extension, the team announced today in a press release.
“Taylor has done an outstanding job leading our team and this extension is well-deserved,” executive VP of basketball operations Zach Kleiman said in a statement. “The year-over-year progress under Taylor speaks for itself, but his growth-oriented, selfless and competitive approach has been a driving force in the establishment of a sustainable culture. We have full confidence that Taylor will steer us to Memphis’ first championship.”
A former assistant under Mike Budenholzer in Atlanta and Milwaukee, Jenkins was hired by the Grizzlies in 2019 to replace former head coach J.B. Bickerstaff. He led Memphis to a 34-39 record in 2019/20 and a 38-34 mark in ’20/21, earning consecutive play-in spots. The team made the playoffs in 2021, but lost in the first round to Utah in five games.
Jenkins’ Grizzlies broke out in a major way this past season, putting up a 56-26 regular season record and winning a playoff series for the first time since 2015. Jenkins finished second in Coach of the Year voting behind Monty Williams, whose Suns were the only team to post a better record than Memphis.
In total, Jenkins has a 128-99 (.564) regular season record and a 7-10 mark in the playoffs since becoming the Grizzlies’ head coach.
The terms of Jenkins’ contract aren’t known, but the extension was classified as a multiyear deal. Even if we conservatively assume Jenkins had just one year left on his previous contract and got two new years on his extension, he’ll be under contract for the next three seasons — I’d guess the new deal locks him up for even longer than that.
Draft Decisions: Dieng, Jovic, Besson, Kamagate, L. Miller, More
The players who declared as early entrants for the 2022 NBA draft have until 5:00 pm Eastern time on Monday to decide whether or not to keep their names in this year’s draft pool.
Since the NCAA’s own withdrawal deadline passed earlier this month, today’s deadline doesn’t have a real impact on most college players — if they were going to withdraw, they’ve probably done so already to avoid forgoing their remaining NCAA eligibility. However, today’s deadline is an important one for non-college prospects, including those who are playing in professional leagues in Europe and around the world.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has provided a series of updates on top international prospects who are finalizing their early entry decisions today. Let’s round them up…
(Note: The country listed for each prospect is where he has been playing, not necessarily where he’s from.)
Staying in the draft:
- Hugo Besson, G, Australia (born 2001) (Twitter link)
- Ousmane Dieng, F, Australia (born 2003) (ESPN story)
- Nikola Jovic, F, Serbia (born 2003) (Twitter link)
- Ismael Kamagate, C, France (born 2001) (Twitter link)
- Gabriele Procida, G/F, Italy (born 2002) (Twitter link)
- Ziga Samar, G, Spain (born 2001) (Twitter link)
- Gui Santos, F, Brazil (born 2002) (ESPN story)
Dieng, the No. 12 player on ESPN’s big board, and Jovic, ESPN’s No. 24 prospect, are considered good bets to be first-round picks, so it comes as no surprise that they’ll remain in the draft. The other players in this list may not be first-rounders, but most of them have a good chance to be drafted.
Besson comes in at No. 38 on ESPN’s board, while Kamagate is No. 40. Procida is the 52nd on player on ESPN’s list, but has received “strong reviews” during the pre-draft process, according to Givony.
Samar, the No. 61 player on ESPN’s board, has also gained traction recently due to his strong workouts for teams and the fact that his NBA buyout is flexible and inexpensive, making him an appealing draft-and-stash option, Givony explains.
Santos is the No. 76 player on ESPN’s top 100.
Withdrawing from the draft:
- Zvonimir Ivisic, F/C, Montenegro (born 2003) (Twitter link)
- Karlo Matkovic, F/C, Serbia (born 2001) (Twitter link)
- Leonard Miller, F, Canada (born 2003) (ESPN story)
- Matthew Strazel, G, France (born 2002) (Twitter link)
Miller, the No. 43 prospect on ESPN’s big board for 2022, will sign with the G League Ignite, he tells Givony.
“My decision to withdraw from this year’s draft is based on what’s best for my long-term development,” Miller said. “With another year of development both on and off the court, I will put myself in an even better position for the 2023 draft. Going through the pre-draft process, I learned about what it takes to be a successful professional. Whether it’s the daily on-court work, off-court work, diet, or recovery, I have gained a much greater understanding of the habits it takes to get to the top of this field.”
Givony is bullish on Miller’s chances of boosting his draft stock for next year, tweeting that the young forward will likely be a top-20 pick in ESPN’s next 2023 mock draft.
Matkovic was the No. 60 prospect on ESPN’s board, while Ivisic was No. 63, which made them borderline candidates to be drafted. Strazel was unranked.
A total of 37 international prospects declared for the draft as early entrants and typically no more than about 10 or 15 of those players keep their names in the pool. In other words, it’s a safe bet that many more players on our list of international early entrants will withdraw by today’s deadline, even if it those decisions aren’t reported immediately.
And-Ones: Henderson, Sessions, Point Guards, EuroLeague
G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson has agreed to a multiyear endorsement deal with Puma that will be worth at least seven figures annually, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic. It’s believed to be the most lucrative endorsement contract ever for a basketball player who is not yet eligible for the draft, Charania adds.
Henderson will play for the Ignite again next season before becoming draft-eligible in 2023 — he was the No. 2 pick in ESPN’s most recent ’23 mock draft, behind only French big man Victor Wembanyama.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Former NBA guard Ramon Sessions, who became an NBPA-certified player agent earlier this year, tells Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic that his experience working with the players’ union during his 11-year player career helped push him toward his new path. “It just made too much sense. I always was intrigued my whole career — being a union guy — wanting to know how a contract worked,” Sessions said. “Just wanted another challenge. Me doing this is no different than me being picked 56 (in the 2007 draft).”
- Kyrie Irving and Jalen Brunson are the headliners of this year’s free agent point guards, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic, who believes point guard may be the strongest position in free agency this summer. Ricky Rubio, Delon Wright, Tyus Jones, Anfernee Simons, and Patty Mills are some of the other names near the top of Hollinger’s list.
- Alex Madrid of Eurohoops.net names 10 current NBA players he believes are candidates to join EuroLeague teams for the 2022/23 season. Madrid’s list includes players originally from Europe, such as Ignas Brazdeikis and Vlatko Cancar, as well as U.S.-born players who have previous EuroLeague experience, like Matt Thomas and Anthony Gill.
Latest On James Wiseman’s Recovery
The Warriors and James Wiseman are optimistic that the former No. 2 overall pick will be able to play in next month’s Summer League, according to Shams Charania and Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
Wiseman suffered a torn right meniscus last April and had the injury surgically repaired, then had a second, more minor surgery in December to address persistent swelling in the same knee. He was officially ruled out for the 2021/22 season in late March.
According to Charania and Slater, Wiseman took a multi-day trip to London with Warriors president of basketball operations Bob Myers in April, and underwent an orthobiologic, plasma-rich injection there to help promote healing in his knee. Since then, he has gradually increased his on-court activity and has begun sprinting without pain. Sources tell The Athletic that Wiseman is getting close to being cleared for full-contact workouts.
A final decision on Wiseman’s availability for Summer League – both the California Classic on July 2-3 and the Las Vegas event from July 7-17 – is expected to be made within the next couple weeks, per The Athletic’s duo. Wiseman stated in early May that his goal was to be available to suit up for Summer League games.
Although Wiseman has only played 39 total games in his first two NBA seasons and the Warriors are back in the NBA Finals without him, the 21-year-old center remains an important part of the franchise’s long-term plans, according to Charania and Slater. He’s under contract for 2022/23 and the team is expected to pick up his $12.1MM option for 2023/24 this fall.
Still, as The Athletic’s writers note, the Warriors could face some difficult roster decisions soon, with starting center Kevon Looney headed for unrestricted free agency this offseason. Two years ago, Golden State might have envisioned handing the starting job to Wiseman at this point, but given his relative lack of NBA reps, that seems unlikely to happen quite yet, meaning the team may feel more pressure to retain Looney.
Poll: Which Team Will Win NBA Finals?
Four games into the NBA Finals, neither the Warriors nor the Celtics have put their stamp on the series and established themselves as the clear-cut frontrunner to win the 2022 title.
Both teams have won once at home and once on the road. Both have continued to avoid losing streaks of any kind — the Celtics are 7-0 in the postseason following a loss, while the Warriors are 6-0. As Zach Lowe of ESPN (Insider link) observes, the aggregate score of the Finals is 422-421 in favor of Golden State, and the two teams have made an identical number of three-pointers (64).
Oddsmakers like Bovada.lv and BetOnline.ag currently have the Warriors listed as slight favorites, but that’s mostly due to their home court advantage — the Dubs will host Game 5 at the Chase Center on Monday and would do the same in a potential Game 7 on Sunday.
As Lowe writes, given how tight the series has been so far, it’ll likely come down to “execution, toughness, poise, and a little luck.” Robert Williams‘ health will be an X-factor, as his knee continues to be a nagging issue. The Warriors’ ability to find second and third scorers to complement Stephen Curry will also be crucial. Through four games, Curry has 137 points and Klay Thompson – Golden State’s next-best scorer – has 69, Lowe notes.
Several more subplots will play a part in determining this year’s champion. As solid as Jayson Tatum has been in the series, he doesn’t have a signature performance yet, having shot just 34.1% from the field through four games. Does he have a huge game in him? How much can the Warriors expect from Draymond Green, who has been stout defensively but has done next to nothing on offense (4.3 PPG on 23.1% shooting)? Can the Celtics’ role players continue to knock down open catch-and-shoot threes? Will Boston need to adjust its pick-and-roll defense on Curry?
Lowe believes the Celtics are the “better, deeper team on paper,” but the Warriors have home court advantage and have had the best player in the series.
When we polled our readers prior to the start of the series, over 61% of respondents predicted a Warriors victory. If you voted for Golden State in that poll, are you still confident in your pick, or are you now leaning toward the Celtics? If you voted for Boston before the series, are you changing your pick now or sticking with it?
Ahead of Monday’s Game 5, vote in our latest poll below, then head to the comment section to share your thoughts!
Which team will win the NBA Finals?
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Golden State Warriors in 7 34% (465)
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Boston Celtics in 7 29% (400)
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Golden State Warriors in 6 22% (303)
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Boston Celtics in 6 15% (206)
Total votes: 1,374
2022 NBA Offseason Preview: Utah Jazz
After posting the NBA’s best record (52-20) in 2020/21, the Jazz entered the ’21/22 season with championship aspirations and came out of the gate strong, winning 28 of their first 38 games.
In the second half of the season, however, injuries, inconsistently, and a frequently recurring inability to hold fourth-quarter leads plagued the Jazz, who went just 21-23 after their impressive start and failed to hit their stride in the postseason, falling in six games to Dallas in the first round.
It was a familiar script for Utah. The team has finished at least 14 games above .500 for six consecutive seasons but never won more than a single playoff series in any one of those years. The latest postseason exit will lead to more scrutiny than ever for the Jazz’s core, particularly since longtime head coach Quin Snyder stepped down from his role several weeks after the season ended, citing a desire to move on.
While the Jazz may be focused on their head coaching search for the time being, it’s safe to assume they’re also thinking long and hard about the extent to which the roster needs to be overhauled. It will be fascinating to see just how aggressive CEO Danny Ainge and general manager Justin Zanik decide to be this offseason.
The Jazz’s Offseason Plan:
Dating back at least to the time they both contracted COVID-19 in March 2020, there have been reports of tension between Jazz All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. Although Mitchell and Gobert have repeatedly insisted publicly that there are no issues beyond occasional moments of ordinary on-court frustration, those whispers have persisted, leading to speculation that Utah will eventually break up the star duo.
Multiple reports so far this offseason have suggested the Jazz are shutting down inquiries on Mitchell, but appear more open to the idea of moving Gobert. If that’s true, it makes some sense. As terrific a rim protector as Gobert is – and he’s currently the NBA’s best – his impact on offense is limited and his game-changing defensive ability can be negated to some extent when Utah faces a five-out look.
The Jazz can live with those limitations, but doing so would be easier if Gobert wasn’t set to earn nearly $170MM over the next four years. The club would likely prefer to build a more flexible defense made up of several versatile, switchable players. Having a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate at the rim to back up those players would be ideal, but Gobert’s massive contract complicates the front office’s ability to acquire them — using him as a trade chip may be the best solution to diversify the roster.
Finding a suitable trade for Gobert won’t be easy. Other teams will be wary of his outsized cap hit and the things he can’t do on the court, so it may not be realistic for the Jazz to expect a massive return, especially since they’ll want players who can make an immediate impact, rather than prospects and draft picks. Teams with interest in trading for Gobert won’t be looking to give up multiple impact two-way players for him.
As they consider potential deals this offseason, the Jazz’s front office will likely have the Raptors on speed dial. Toronto has a hole at center and has several talented two-way wings and forwards on its roster, including Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, OG Anunoby, and Gary Trent Jr. — the Raptors won’t necessarily be willing to discuss all of those players (Barnes, certainly, isn’t going anywhere), but their abundance of starting-caliber forwards makes them an intriguing potential trade partner from Utah’s perspective.
Chicago has also been cited as a possible suitor for Gobert, but any deal between the Jazz and Bulls may hinge on how the two teams view former No. 4 overall pick Patrick Williams. The Bulls would have to be more willing to give him up than they were at the 2022 trade deadline, and the Jazz would have to like him enough to make him the centerpiece of a package for Gobert. I’m skeptical of the latter in particular.
The Jazz aren’t lacking in alternative trade candidates if they don’t find a Gobert deal they like. Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson, Royce O’Neale, and Rudy Gay, among others, should all be available if the price is right.
Still, Utah will have to keep its expectations in check for what those veterans could realistically return — they’re solid rotation players and their contracts are reasonable enough, but they’re not major trade assets. None of them is going to be bring back two or three above-average rotation players like Gobert theoretically could. Any deals involving guys from this group would be more about swapping one veteran for another, creating a different look to the roster.
Of course, no Jazz player would warrant a more significant haul on the trade market than Mitchell, but it appears the organization won’t consider going down that path unless the former Louisville star says he wants out. There has been no indication that will happen this summer.
The Jazz’s ability to sweeten trade offers with draft picks will be limited. They have no selections in this year’s draft and have also traded away their 2024 first-rounder (top-10 protected). They could still trade up to two future first-rounders between 2026-29 as long as that ’24 pick doesn’t fall within its protected range for multiple years, but not every team will be swayed by draft assets so far down the road.
While most of Utah’s rotation players are under contract for 2022/23, some minimum-salary contributors will be free agents, including Hassan Whiteside, Danuel House, and Eric Paschall. If the Jazz can get them back at the minimum or something very close to it, it would make sense to do so, but the team already projects to be in the tax and will be reluctant to invest more heavily than that in players who are essentially eighth or ninth men. If Whiteside, House, or Paschall get offered substantial raises elsewhere, Utah will likely replace them with minimum-salary free agents.
Finally, it’s worth mentioning that the ongoing head coaching search represents one of the Jazz’s most important decisions of the offseason. Snyder was among the NBA’s longest-tenured coaches and was respected by his players. With the franchise at a crossroads, finding a Snyder replacement who is capable of coming in and demanding respect while creating stability would go a long way toward making sure the team doesn’t have to fully tear down its roster and start over within the next few years.
Salary Cap Situation
Note: Our salary cap figures are based on the league’s latest projection ($122MM) for 2022/23.
Guaranteed Salary
- Rudy Gobert ($38,172,414)
Donovan Mitchell ($30,351,780)- Mike Conley ($22,680,000)
- Bojan Bogdanovic ($19,550,000)
- Jordan Clarkson ($13,340,000)
- Royce O’Neale ($9,200,000)
- Rudy Gay ($6,184,500)
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker ($5,009,633)
- Udoka Azubuike ($2,174,880)
- Jared Butler ($1,563,518)
- Xavier Sneed (two-way)
- Total: $148,226,725
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Juan Hernangomez ($7,307,130) 1
- Total: $7,307,130
Restricted Free Agents
- Eric Paschall ($2,228,276 qualifying offer / $2,228,276 cap hold): Bird rights
- Trent Forrest ($2,011,516 qualifying offer / $2,011,516 cap hold): Early Bird rights
- Total (cap holds): $4,239,792
Two-Way Free Agents
- None
Draft Picks
- None
Extension-Eligible Players
Note: These are players who are either already eligible for an extension or will become eligible before the 2022/23 season begins.
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker (rookie scale)
- Bojan Bogdanovic (veteran)
- Jordan Clarkson (veteran)
- Juan Hernangomez (veteran)
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
- Danuel House ($1,811,516 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Hassan Whiteside ($1,811,516 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Total: $3,623,032
Offseason Cap Outlook
With over $148MM in guaranteed money committed to 10 players, the Jazz are on track to go well beyond the projected luxury tax line of $149MM. It’s possible they could avoid becoming a taxpayer if they make a cost-cutting trade or two, but there’s no realistic scenario in which they open up cap room. For now, we’re counting on them being limited to the taxpayer mid-level exception.
Cap Exceptions Available
- Taxpayer mid-level exception: $6,392,000 2
- Trade exception: $9,774,884
- Trade exception: $1,517,981
- Trade exception: $799,106
- Trade exception: $567,564
Footnotes
- Hernangomez’s salary will become fully guaranteed after June 30.
- This is a projected value. The Jazz could instead have access to the full mid-level exception ($10,349,000) and bi-annual exception ($4,050,000) if they remain below the tax apron.
Salary and cap information from Basketball Insiders and RealGM was used in the creation of this post.
Western Notes: Wiggins, Warriors, Popovich, Jazz
Warriors coach Steve Kerr praised Andrew Wiggins for his improved play this season — which has now carried into the postseason, as Kerith Burke of NBC Sports Bay Area relays (Twitter link).
Wiggins was named an All-Star for the first time this season, averaging 17.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game on 47% shooting from the floor and 39% shooting from deep. His strong two-way play is a major reason why the Warriors have hung around in the NBA Finals, defeating Boston on Friday to tie the series 2-2.
“He’s a very mild-mannered guy, but he’s taken a leap in these playoffs in terms of his impact on the game defensively,” Kerr said, also noting how Wiggins grabbed 16 rebounds in Game 4. “The biggest thing is he’s a two-way player.”
Here are some other notes from the West:
- Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press explores how the Warriors proved they’re still dominant on the road by winning Game 4. Nicknamed the “Road Warriors,” the Dubs have won a road game in each of their last 27 playoff series. Golden State won 107-97 in Boston on Friday behind Stephen Curry‘s 43 points and 10 rebounds.
- Until Spurs coach Gregg Popovich says otherwise, it’s best to assume he’ll return next season, Mike Finger of the San Antonio Express-News writes. Popovich has held off on discussing his future and seems focused on the present. Should he return next season, it would be his 29th as San Antonio’s head coach.
- Sarah Todd of the Deseret News examines the Jazz‘s front-office hierarchy, which can be confusing because of some relatively recent changes in the basketball operations department. Utah hired ex-Celtics general manager Danny Ainge as CEO last year, but still has Justin Zanik as general manager. As Todd notes, the team also didn’t hire a new executive vice president of basketball operations when Dennis Lindsey left the position.
Eastern Notes: Buckner, Cavaliers, Williams III, Sixers, Brogdon
The Cavaliers are promoting assistant Greg Buckner to an associate head coach position, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter). As Wojnarowski notes, Buckner played a key role in helping Cleveland become a strong defensive team last season.
Buckner spent 11 years in the NBA as a player from 1998-2009. He joined the Rockets as a player development coach in 2011, then became an assistant with the Grizzlies in 2017. The Cavaliers hired him in 2020.
Cleveland finished with a 44-38 record this season, dealing with several injuries throughout the year. The team lost in the play-in tournament and failed to make the playoffs for the fourth year in a row.
There’s more from the Eastern Conference tonight:
- Celtics center Robert Williams III tweaked his knee and asked to come out of Game 4 on Friday, head coach Ime Udoka said, as relayed by Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). However, Williams is hopeful to play in Game 5. The shot-blocking big man has dealt with knee soreness for several weeks. Williams said he feels better and is relieved to have more of his usual explosion lately, Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston tweets.
- The Sixers‘ recent handling of a third star hasn’t been good, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. If Philadelphia pursues a trade for another star, Pompey believes the team must make sure he’s the right fit. As it stands, the Sixers are headlined by James Harden and Joel Embiid, but the team also has two quality players in Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris behind them. That quartet alone combined to score 86.3 points per game last season.
- James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required) examines whether Malcolm Brogdon has played his last game with Indiana. Brogdon played a career-low 36 games this past season with the Pacers, who could explore his value on the trade market during the offseason. He averaged 19.1 points per contest on 45% shooting last year.
Southeast Notes: Wizards, Magic, Williams, Heat, Hawks
The Wizards are scheduled to work out six draft-eligible players on Monday, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link). Oklahoma’s Jordan Goldwire, Arkansas’ Chris Lykes, Kansas’ Remy Martin, Kansas State’s Mike McGuirl, Alabama’s Jaden Shackelford and Notre Dame’s Blake Wesley will attend the session.
As noted by Robbins, all six players are guards. The Wizards, who own the 10th and 54th overall picks in the draft, are coming off a season in which they finished with a 35-47 record, missing the playoffs.
Here are some other notes from the Southeast Division:
- Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel examines how UNLV’s Donovan Williams could fit with the Magic. Aside from having the No. 1 pick, Orlando also owns the No. 32 and No. 35 selections in the event. Williams, a 6’6″ guard, averaged 12.7 points per game this past season.
- Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel explores whether the Heat‘s individual defensive weaknesses are overstated. Winderman ponders whether Miami could compensate for some defensive issues by putting more points on the board. While players such as Tyler Herro improved defensively this season, others (such as Duncan Robinson) did not. Robinson fell out of Miami’s rotation during the postseason as a result.
- The Hawks will work out five players on Monday ahead of the June 23 draft, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic tweets. Atlanta will bring in Ochai Agbaji (Kansas), Olek Balcerowski (Spain), Shareef O’Neal (LSU), Scotty Pippen Jr. (Vanderbilt) and Jalen Williams (Santa Clara). The team will pick 16th and 44th this year.
Nuggets Expected To Hire Ryan Saunders As Assistant Coach
The Nuggets are expected to hire former Timberwolves head coach Ryan Saunders as an assistant on Michael Malone‘s staff, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Saunders spent time with Minnesota from 2014-21.
While Saunders was with the Wolves for eight years, he didn’t start as the team’s head coach. He joined the franchise as an assistant after serving in the same role with Washington from 2009-14. Minnesota then promoted him to head coach after Tom Thibodeau was fired in 2019. Saunders was dismissed as Timberwolves coach in February of 2021 after leading the team to a 7-24 record to start that season.
Saunders is the son of longtime head coach Flip Saunders, who held stints with Minnesota, Detroit and Washington across his career and passed away in 2015.
Saunders is expected to replace Jordi Fernandez on Malone’s staff — Fernandez recently accepted an associate head coach role with the Kings.
The Nuggets are coming off a season in which they finished 48-34. They expect to have Michael Porter Jr. (back surgery) and Jamal Murray (torn ACL) back next season and hope to contend for a title.