Central Notes: Bucks’ Coaching Search, Pacers, Cheaney, Cavs
While Nick Nurse, Kenny Atkinson, and Adrian Griffin are the only finalists that have been reported so far in the Bucks‘ head coaching search, Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel hears from a source that the team could still expand that list of finalists.
For now though, Milwaukee seems to be deciding between Nurse, Atkinson, and Griffin, prompting Eric Nehm of The Athletic to consider why each coaching candidate may – or may not – be a fit for the franchise.
A league source who spoke to Owczarski (subscription required) got the sense that Bucks general manager Jon Horst prefers a coach with “a bit of edge” in terms of style. That could be a point in favor of Nurse, who gained a reputation for experimenting with unorthodox defensive styles when he took over as the head coach in Toronto. As Nehm observes, Nurse also won a championship in his first year as a head coach, a feat the Bucks are hoping their next coach will be able to replicate.
The second round of interviews for the Bucks is expected to include dialogue with two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, Marc Stein writes at Substack. Horst told reporters earlier this month that he expected to get input from Antetokounmpo during the team’s coaching search.
Here’s more from around the Central:
- Pacers assistant Calbert Cheaney is leaving Rick Carlisle‘s staff to return to his alma mater and become the director of player development at Indiana University under Mike Woodson. Carlisle and the Pacers put out a statement thanking Cheaney for his contributions and wishing him well in his new job. The team also announced that Isaac Yacob is being promoted from head video coordinator to a player development role.
- The Pacers, armed with five picks in this year’s draft, will almost certainly trade one or more of them, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required). With the picks they keep, the Pacers won’t be overly focused on positional fit, but likely won’t select anyone who will be a defensive liability, Dopirak adds.
- Kelsey Russo of The Athletic considers a few options for the Cavaliers‘ pick at No. 49, identifying Marquette forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Illinois wing Terrence Shannon, and Eastern Michigan wing Emoni Bates as possible targets. Prosper, who had a strong showing at least week’s combine, may not still be available by the time Cleveland picks — he ranks No. 32 on ESPN’s big board.
Latest On Suns’ Head Coaching Search
There are conflicting accounts on exactly where things stand in the Suns‘ head coaching search.
On Tuesday evening, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN both reported that Phoenix was advancing a handful of candidates to the final stage of the process, but the names the two reporters identified didn’t match up.
Charania and Wojnarowski agreed that Nick Nurse, Doc Rivers, Kevin Young, and Jordi Fernandez are among the Suns’ finalists, but Charania added Frank Vogel to that list, while Woj said there were only four remaining candidates.
In a story published late on Tuesday, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic came down on Charania’s side, citing sources who say that the Suns have five finalists, with Vogel still in the mix.
However, Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report has pushed back on that entire series of reports, tweeting overnight that Phoenix has actually yet to reach the final stage of its interview process. According to Haynes, the team is still expected to meet with Bucks associate head coach Charles Lee and Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson.
[RELATED: 2023 NBA Head Coaching Search Tracker]
It’s odd that the NBA’s top two news-breakers and a plugged-in local beat writer would each separately report that the Suns are entering the final stage of their head coaching search process if the club still has interviews on tap with additional candidates. Perhaps Phoenix could expand its list of finalists to include Lee and/or Atkinson — based on the reports from Charania, Wojnarowski, and Rankin, I wouldn’t consider either of them a frontrunner at this point, but it sounds like they shouldn’t be entirely ruled out either.
The Suns are seeking a replacement for Monty Williams, who was let go after four seasons with the franchise despite compiling a 194-115 regular season record, leading Phoenix to the 2021 NBA Finals, and earning Coach of the Year honors in 2022.
Initial reporting following Williams’ dismissal indicated that Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue may be atop Phoenix’s wish list. Lue’s name hasn’t come up at all in recent days, which likely suggests that the Suns are resigned to the fact that he’ll be staying in Los Angeles.
Draft Notes: Bediako, Walker, Mark, Second Round, Klintman, Sheppard
Alabama center Charles Bediako has decided to remain in the draft, Jonathan Givony and Jeff Borzello of ESPN report. Bediako started all 37 games this past season for the Crimson Tide as a sophomore, averaging 6.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks. He’s not currently listed among the 100 prospects on ESPN’s Best Available list.
We have more draft-related notes:
- Projected lottery pick Jarace Walker has a sore right elbow, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. Ranked No. 5 by ESPN, Walker injured his elbow in Houston’s Sweet 16 game and recently re-aggravated it. However, he’s expected to be back to 100% for upcoming team workouts.
- Tramon Mark, who also played for the Cougars last season, has withdrawn from the draft, CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein tweets. Mark, who averaged 10.1 PPG with Houston, has transferred to Arkansas.
- The early part of the second round figures to be a popular trade-up area for teams looking for value, according to Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. Many teams believe this draft will have plenty of depth.
- There’s speculation that Wake Forest forward Bobi Klintman could have a first-round promise, according to Wasserman. Klintman opted out of the combine despite averaging just 5.3 points per game last season.
- Belmont’s Ben Sheppard may have been the highest riser during the combine after his 25-point game on Thursday, Wasserman adds in the same piece. Sheppard averaged 18.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists for the Bruins last season.
- South Carolina guard Meechie Johnson is withdrawing his name and will return to school, Rothstein tweets.
Nurse, Vogel, Rivers Among Finalists For Suns’ Job
The Suns have narrowed their list of head coaching candidates to five — Nick Nurse, Frank Vogel, Doc Rivers, Kings associate head coach Jordi Fernandez and Suns assistant Kevin Young, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
The five finalists will meet with new owner Mat Ishbia, team president James Jones and other team executives in Michigan this week, according to Charania (Twitter link). Ishbia is a Michigan native and played basketball for Michigan State. His mortgage lending company, United Wholesale Mortgage, is also based in Michigan.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that there are four finalists, omitting Vogel.
Phoenix dismissed Monty Williams after its second-round playoff exit.
Nurse has seemingly positioned himself to get another coaching job quickly after parting ways with the Raptors after the season. He’s also a finalist for the Bucks’ head coaching job and a candidate for the Sixers’ head coaching vacancy.
Vogel, who coached the Lakers to a championship in 2020, interviewed for the Sixers’ job on Tuesday. Vogel was also linked to the Bucks’ job but isn’t among the reported finalists.
Rivers was fired just a week ago by the Sixers but was said to be open to coaching again next season if the right opportunity arose.
Fernandez, who served as Mike Brown‘s top assistant with Sacramento this season, is also a candidate for Nurse’s former job. Young was a candidate for the Bucks’ job, but didn’t make the final cut.
One prominent name not included on the Suns’ list of finalists is former Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer. Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported earlier today that Budenholzer wasn’t considered a leading candidate in Phoenix.
Raptors Notes: Nash, Hammon, Williams, Griffin, Offseason Approach
Steve Nash, who interviewed for the Raptors’ head coaching vacancy, may be a better fit for Toronto than he was in Brooklyn, according to Eric Koreen of The Athletic. With the Nets, Nash was swallowed up by the superstars and their egos. Nash, who was known during his playing career as one of the all-time great teammates, could see his leadership qualities prove more effective in Toronto with a team that lacked cohesion throughout the season, Koreen writes.
We have more on the Raptors:
- It doesn’t appear Becky Hammon will make history with the Raptors. The Las Vegas Aces head coach did not formally interview with Toronto’s brass, though there were conversations, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca reports. There was a general sense that Hammon wasn’t in a rush to leave her current job.
- Former Suns head coach Monty Williams is on the Raptors’ radar, Grange adds in the same story, and long-time assistant coach Adrian Griffin remains the leading internal candidate. Griffin is also a finalist for the Bucks’ head coaching job.
- The Raptors are wise to take their time and look at a wide variety of candidates, Koreen opines. Toronto isn’t in the same spot as the Bucks and Sixers, who are looking for a coach to quickly guide them to a championship. The Raptors can afford to explore a wider range of options and search for an open-minded coach, who could inherit most of the current roster or find himself running a team that’s been completely revamped.
- Along those same lines, Blake Murphy of Sportnet said this offseason could go any number of ways. While the simplest outcome is for the Raptors to retain their free agents, unload some salary and use cap exceptions for upgrades, it’s also possible there could be significant roster changes.
Lakers Notes: James, Pelinka, Reaves, Russell, Thompson, Hachimura
LeBron James hinted at retirement following the Lakers’ elimination from the postseason on Monday night. General manager Rob Pelinka said on Tuesday that James has earned the right to do whatever he wants with the career, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
“LeBron has given as much to the game of basketball as anyone who has ever played,” Pelinka said. “When you do that, you earn a right to decide whether you’re going to give more. … Obviously, our hope would be that his career continues, but we want to give him the time to have that inflection point and support him along the way.”
Pelinka said that he and coach Darvin Ham would talk things over with James in the coming days, according to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times.
The Lakers have only five players under contract next season, with just three on guaranteed contracts, and Pelinka gave a strong hint he’d like to retain many of the team’s free agents.
“We ultimately got knocked out by a team that has great continuity,” Pelinka said. “They’ve got a group of players that have been together for several seasons, and it shows in the way they play. We feel like we’ve got special players in the locker room that enjoy playing with each other. We know there’s more growth and improvement in that group, especially if we get a training camp together.”
We have more on the Lakers:
- Austin Reaves, headed to restricted free agency, said he’d like to stick around, Lakers reporter Mike Trudell tweets. “I want to be here. It feels like home to me, in a sense … the way the fans support me. Players, coaching staff, front office,” he said. “This is definitely somewhere I want to be, but we’ll see what happens.”
- The Western Conference Finals didn’t go well for unrestricted free agent, D’Angelo Russell. He struggled with his shooting and got removed from the starting five in Game 4. However, he labels his second stint with the Lakers a “complete success,” ESPN’s Dave McMenamin tweets. “I really can’t complain about anything except the ball going in when I wanted it to,” Russell said.
- Tristan Thompson, who played 10 minutes in Game 4, would also like to return as he heads to free agency, Trudell tweets. “I’m all about winning. I’m two feet in for whatever the team needs. I love it here,” he said.
- Rui Hachimura, who will be a restricted free agent, says his experience with the Lakers since being traded from Washington was “one of the best moments,” the team tweets. “I learned a lot of things from LeBron, AD, the coaches,” he said. “It was great for my career.”
Heat Notes: Butler, Adebayo, Spoelstra, Herro
Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are the Heat‘s leading scorers in the postseason, but their ability to get their teammates involved and make sure Miami’s role players stay aggressive has been crucial to the team’s playoff success, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
While Butler and Adebayo have combined to average 48 points per game in the playoffs, Gabe Vincent, Caleb Martin, Max Strus, Kyle Lowry, and Duncan Robinson have exceeded that figure as a group, averaging a total of 55 points per contest.
“They could easily take every shot they wanted to now, with guys down, guys like Tyler (Herro) that are out,” Martin said of the Heat’s stars. “That just shows the belief they have in us. And asking where the confidence comes from, a lot of it stems from those two guys, just believing in us and getting us open looks and believing we’ll knock them down, whether we make or miss, continue to make the right plays.”
Here’s more on the Heat:
- The NBA announced in a brief press release on Tuesday afternoon that Butler has been fined $25K for violating league rules related to media interview access. Butler didn’t take part in his required post-game media availability following Game 3 on Sunday.
- Head coach Erik Spoelstra may prefer to give his players the credit for Miami’s deep playoff run, but he deserves major recognition for the part he has played, William Guillory writes for The Athletic. “I can’t say I’ve been coached by somebody who moves like him,” Heat forward Kevin Love said. “He’s so committed to every facet. There’s no detail left unturned. His attention to detail is there, and he’s not a micromanager at all. He lets us play free. He lets us do our thing and allows us to be unapologetically ourselves.”
- Heat guard Tyler Herro was cleared to resume non-contact basketball activities on Tuesday as he continues to make his way back from a broken right hand, according to Chiang of The Miami Herald. When Herro underwent surgery on April 21, the team announced he would miss at least six weeks — the six-week mark would be on June 2, while the NBA Finals will tip off on June 1. Still, while the possibility of Herro returning in the Finals hasn’t been ruled out, it’s not necessarily considered likely, Chiang says.
Sixers Interview Frank Vogel For Head Coaching Job
Former Lakers coach Frank Vogel interviewed for the Sixers’ head coaching job on Tuesday, John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia tweets.
Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer confirms that the New Jersey native was interviewed by Philadelphia’s brass as it searches for Doc Rivers’ replacement. Vogel was one of the big names that popped up after Rivers’ dismissal. Vogel was linked to the Bucks’ job but isn’t among the reported finalists.
Vogel was an assistant with the Sixers early in his career (2004-05). He was the Pacers’ head coach from 2011-16 and the Magic’s head coach from 2016-18. He got the Lakers’ job in 2019 and coached them to a championship in the Orlando bubble in 2020. He was dismissed after the 2021/22 season.
Vogel has a .526 career regular-season winning percentage and a .557 mark in the playoffs.
The Sixers are also expected to interview Nick Nurse, the Raptors’ former head coach, among other candidates.
2023 NBA Offseason Preview: Atlanta Hawks
A young team making an unexpected trip to the conference finals is never a bad thing, right? It generates money, which ownership loves. It gets fans excited for the future. The players gain valuable experience. All positive benefits.
Unfortunately, that same core group takes a step back the following season, barely sneaking into the playoffs via the play-in tournament and then losing in the first round in five games. That seems like a good time to make changes, because maybe the roster isn’t clicking in ways you’d hope.
So you make a major offseason trade to shake up the starting lineup. But the team sees its record in the following season drop to .500 and makes another quick first-round playoff exit, this time in six games.
That’s the position the Hawks find themselves in entering the 2023 offseason. The biggest change Atlanta made during the 2022/23 season was firing head coach Nate McMillan – who reportedly didn’t have a great relationship with Trae Young – and replacing him with Quin Snyder, the former Jazz coach. Snyder will have a voice in personnel decisions going forward, and it will be interesting to see what direction he wants to go with the roster.
Despite sliding down the standings and dealing away two unprotected picks (2025 and 2027) to the Spurs in the deal to acquire Dejounte Murray, the Hawks have plenty of players other teams want, so they aren’t lacking in assets. Improving the team’s defense — which ranked 22nd in the league this season — will be a priority going forward.
The Hawks’ Offseason Plan:
Atlanta has 10 players on guaranteed contracts entering 2023/24 for a grand total of $162.3MM. The projected luxury tax line is $162MM, and owner Tony Ressler has never paid the tax since he bought the team in 2015.
Last offseason, the Hawks traded Kevin Huerter to the Kings to avoid being a taxpayer. Could another cost-cutting move be in store this summer? It seems highly likely, given the mediocre on-court results in ’22/23.
John Collins is the most obvious trade candidate on the roster, and his name has consistently been in the rumor mill for years now. The problem is, he’s owed $78.5MM over the next three years, and is coming off a career-worst season statistically. As such, his contract will likely be viewed as a negative asset by rival front offices.
General manager Landry Fields has publicly maintained that the team likes Collins, and the Hawks aren’t interested in simply shedding his salary. That’s understandable — it’s typical for incumbent teams to value their own players and nothing can be gained by undercutting Collins’ value — but it won’t have any bearing on how rival teams view the veteran forward.
Minnesota was interested in Clint Capela before trading for Rudy Gobert last summer, and I view the Swiss center as another logical trade candidate. He’s under contract for the next two seasons (for about $43MM), but his backup, Onyeka Okongwu, is eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason, and it’s hard to envision both players being on the roster by the time ’24/25 rolls around.
The biggest offseason question the Hawks face is what to do with the backcourt pairing of Young and Murray. Despite lobbying for Murray to join Atlanta, Young didn’t show much interest in playing off the ball this year; it was mostly Murray who adjusted in that sense. That isn’t ideal, because Murray only shot 34.4% from three-point range, and teams don’t treat him as an outside threat.
Still, while it would be nice to see more synergy and off-ball movement between those two and there’s always room for improvement, offense is far from the main problem — the Hawks ranked seventh on that end in ’22/23 and have been in the top 10 in each of the past three seasons. The issue is, can two guards who ideally play the point hold up defensively? Young is one of the smallest players in the league and is always going to get targeted on that end, so it’s an uphill battle.
Of all the players under contract next season, I would be most surprised if Murray gets dealt simply because of what the team gave up to get him last year. He’s set to hit unrestricted free agency in 2024 and will likely be looking for a max contract, which puts Atlanta in a tough spot with Young already making the max and four other players making $17MM+ in ’24/25. That doesn’t even include possible rookie extensions for Okongwu and/or Saddiq Bey, whom the team acquired for five second-rounders at the trade deadline.
Very little feels settled on this roster. Almost everything should be on the table if it pushes the Hawks in the right direction. That said, despite some speculation, I don’t see Young going anywhere this summer. Perhaps if next season goes really poorly the Hawks will think about it, but it seems like it would be prudent to see how he does with a full season under Snyder first.
There is a good deal of individual talent in Atlanta, and nearly everyone under contract in ’23/24 has positive or neutral trade value. There is depth at every position, and young players complementing veterans. All things you want when building a team.
But not many of the players are well-rounded, and the payroll is about to get very expensive just as the new Collective Bargaining Agreement — which is much more punitive to the league’s taxpaying teams — is set to kick in. The Hawks will have to strike a delicate balance of acquiring the right pieces to fit the roster while watching their salary, because it’s clear more changes are needed.
Salary Cap Situation
Guaranteed Salary
Trae Young ($40,064,220)- John Collins ($25,340,000)
- Clint Capela ($20,616,000)
- De’Andre Hunter ($20,089,286)
- Bogdan Bogdanovic ($18,700,000)
- Dejounte Murray ($18,214,000)
- Onyeka Okongwu ($8,109,063)
- Saddiq Bey ($4,556,983)
- AJ Griffin ($3,712,920)
- Jalen Johnson ($2,925,360)
- Donovan Williams (two-way)
- Total: $162,327,832
Dead/Retained Salary
- None
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Bruno Fernando ($2,581,522)
- Note: Fernando’s salary would become fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before June 29.
- Note: Fernando’s salary would become fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before June 29.
- Garrison Mathews ($2,000,000)
- Note: Mathews’ salary would become fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before June 29.
- Vit Krejci ($1,836,096)
- Tyrese Martin ($1,719,864)
- Note: Martin’s salary would become fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before July 21.
- Total: $8,137,482
Restricted Free Agents
- None
Two-Way Free Agents
Draft Picks
- No. 15 overall ($4,033,440)
- No. 46 overall (no cap hold)
- Total: $4,033,440
Extension-Eligible Players
- Clint Capela (veteran)
- Vit Krejci (veteran)
- Dejounte Murray (veteran)
- Saddiq Bey (rookie scale)
- Onyeka Okongwu (rookie scale)
Note: These are players who are either already eligible for an extension or will become eligible before the 2023/24 season begins.
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
- Aaron Holiday ($1,989,698 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Total: $1,989,698
Cap Exceptions Available
- Taxpayer mid-level exception: $5,000,000
- Trade exception: $6,292,440
- Trade exception: $2,564,980
- Note: Expires on September 27.
- Trade exception: $692,429
- Note: Expires on July 6.
- Trade exception: $46,120
- Note: Expires on July 6.
Note: The Hawks would gain access to the full mid-level exception and the bi-annual exception if their team salary remains below the tax apron.
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 5/23/2023
The transcript of our weekly Tuesday chat can be accessed here.
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