Eastern Notes: Love, Hornets’ Workouts, Pistons
Kevin Love departed Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals in the first half due to a strained lower left leg, but he’ll likely play in Game 4 on Tuesday, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports. The Heat big man says he’ll be “ready to go” as Miami looks to close out the series.
“It just felt like, honestly, a muscle cramp and was kind of off and on,” said Love, who was acquired by the Heat via the buyout market. “So I just wanted to ask to come out, wanted to be smart about it, tell Coach (Erik Spoelstra) that I could go back in if needed. At halftime we’d had a conversation. We were up 15. I said I was available. But then the score just got upwards of 20, 30. And from that point on, I just figured I’d get my treatment, make sure I was all good.”
We have more from around the Eastern Conference:
- The Hornets held a pre-draft workout for six prospects on Monday, the team tweets. Baylor’s Jalen Bridges, Akron’s Xavier Castaneda, Pittsburgh’s Nelly Cummings, Miami’s Jordan Miller, Appalachian State’s Tamell Pearson and Kansas State’s Nae’Qwan Tomlin were the visitors.
- Pelicans assistant Jarron Collins, Bucks assistant Charles Lee and former Overtime Elite coach Kevin Ollie remain finalists for the Pistons’ head coaching job, James Edwards III of The Athletic tweets. The trio will meet with the team’s brass again this week, with Edwards adding that he wouldn’t be surprised if former Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer and former Suns coach Monty Williams take the year off.
- Speaking of the Pistons, what are their lottery options now that they’ve dropped to No. 5 in the draft? Edwards explores that topic and lists a handful of prospects who could be available at that spot, including Alabama forward Brandon Miller if he slides down the draft board. If he doesn’t, Houston’s Jarace Walker or Villanova’s Cam Whitmore could be the pick.
Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Malone, Gobert, Jazz Draft
The Nuggets are intent on ending the Western Conference Finals on Monday night, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes. Denver doesn’t want to give the Lakers a boost of confidence by failing to sweep the series. “We want to give them no hope,” swingman Bruce Brown said.
Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic believes the Lakers won’t go down quietly: “I’m not going to say that I’m scared. But I’m worried because they have (LeBron James) on the other side and he is capable of doing everything.”
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- A franchise that has never won the NBA championship is on the verge of reaching the Finals. Nuggets coach Michael Malone is excited by the possibility of ending the franchise’s drought. “I’ve never looked at the history of the Nuggets as a weight or a burden. I’ve looked at it as an opportunity to be the first team to win a championship,” Malone told Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post. “It’s never been about the pressure. This is an exciting chance to do something nobody in Denver Nuggets history has ever done. I want to write history. That’s what I want to do.”
- Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert went into a “dark retreat” last week, much like quarterback Aaron Rodgers did before he was dealt to the New York Jets, Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. Gobert wrote on a social media that he spent “64 hours in full darkness.” It’s part of Gobert’s plan to have “the best summer” of his career as he looks to bounce back from an inconsistent first season with the franchise.
- Gobert’s former team, the Jazz, had a large presence at last week’s combine, Tony Jones of The Athletic notes. The Jazz conducted more than 20 player interviews during the combine and came away convinced they’ll get a solid player at the No. 9 spot. The Jazz also hold two other first-round picks at No. 16 and No. 28. They believe the draft is deep enough that they can nab a quality player at each spot, with a lead ball-handler high on their wish list.
Lakers “Determined” To Re-Sign Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura
The Lakers could have a significant amount of roster turnover yet again this summer, but they’re “determined” to bring back restricted free agents Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura, sources tell Marc Stein at Substack.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski stated a couple days ago that the Lakers were virtually certain to match any offer sheets that Reaves and Hachimura receive in free agency.
Stein writes that, based on his knowledge, “there is frankly no scenario” in which Reaves won’t be on the roster next season. The Lakers are “quite eager” to re-sign Hachimura as well, according to Stein.
The Lakers can only offer Reaves, a second-year guard, about $52MM over four years. Due to the Gilbert Arenas provision, his maximum offer sheet from a rival team would be upwards of $100MM over four years. The Lakers could match, but it would be harder to stomach if it approaches that figure.
Let’s say Reaves gets an $80MM offer sheet from a rival team, which seems possible based on his strong play in the second half of the season and playoffs. His starting salary in the first year, from the Lakers’ perspective, would be limited to the full mid-level exception ($12.2MM), followed by a 5% raise in year two. However, over the final two years, his salary would come in at an average annual value of about $27.5MM. He’s a good player, but that’s a lot.
Hachimura, a fourth-year forward whom the Lakers acquired from the Wizards in a January trade, had an uneven regular season with L.A., but has performed quite well in the postseason, averaging 12.3 PPG and 3.4 RPG on .588/.528/.867 shooting in 15 games (23.1 MPG). His four-year max offer from a rival club would be $144MM+, but there’s virtually zero chance of that happening. Something like $60-70MM over four years could be within reach, however.
Steve Nash Interviewed For Raptors’ Coaching Job
Former Nets head coach Steve Nash interviewed for the Raptors‘ head coaching vacancy, according to Shams Charania and Joe Vardon of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The Nets went 94-67 (.584) in Nash’s two-plus regular seasons at the helm, including a 7-9 (.438) record in the postseason. He was fired following a 2-5 start to the 2022/23 season.
An eight-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA member, five-time assist leader and a two-time league MVP as a player, Nash was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018. The 49-year-old also claimed a spot on the 75th Anniversary Team in 2021, earning recognition as one of the greatest players in league history.
Nash, who is Canadian, also played for — and was previously the general manager of — the country’s men’s national team. Obviously, that’s noteworthy due to Toronto being the lone NBA team located in Canada.
After his NBA playing days ended, Nash became a part-time consultant for the Warriors. He had no previous coaching experience prior to being named head coach of the Nets in 2020, so it was a surprising hire.
Brooklyn finished as the No. 2 seed in the East in Nash’s first season at the helm in ’20/21, losing a second-round playoff series to the eventual champion Bucks in seven games. The Nets went 44-38 in ’21/22 and entered the postseason as the No. 7 seed after a controversy- and injury-filled season. They were swept in the first round by the Celtics, who went on to make the Finals.
As Charania notes, the Raptors have undertaken an expansive search for a new head coach after firing Nick Nurse, who is now a finalist for the Bucks’ vacancy. According to our tracker, Nash is the 13th candidate either expected to or confirmed to have met with the team.
Nurse, Atkinson, Griffin Finalists In Bucks’ Coaching Search
Former Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, Warriors associate head coach Kenny Atkinson, and Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin have emerged as the three finalists in the Bucks‘ search for a new head coach, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
The three candidates will meet with the team’s leadership this week as part of the final interview process, Wojnarowski adds.
The Bucks fired former coach Mike Budenholzer after a disappointing first-round playoff exit, despite the fact that he led the club to the championship in 2021 and won the most regular season games in the NBA during his five seasons at the helm.
Nurse, who led Toronto to its first title in 2019 in his debut season as an NBA head coach, was dismissed after the team went 41-41 and was eliminated in the play-in tournament. The 2020 Coach of the Year compiled a 227-163 (.582) regular season record and a 25-16 (.610) playoff mark with the Raptors.
The 55-year-old is reportedly in “high demand” and could end up with more than one job offer. He also interviewed for the Sixers’ lead coaching job and is expected to meet with the Suns as well.
A longtime NBA assistant who has spent time with the Knicks, Hawks and Clippers, Atkinson was the head coach of the Nets from 2016-20, accruing a 118-190 record (.383) over parts of four seasons. He has been with the Warriors for the past two seasons.
The Nets improved their win total in each of Atkinson’s first three seasons, making the playoffs in ’18/19. Known as a player development guru, the 55-year-old had a verbal agreement to become Charlotte’s head coach last offseason, but backed out of the arrangement before it was finalized, citing family considerations as a factor in his decision.
Griffin, 48, has interviewed (or was expected to interview) for nearly every open head coaching job over the past season-plus, including the vacancies that popped up after the ’22/23 season concluded for the Rockets, Pistons, Raptors and Bucks. He just completed his 15th season as an assistant and has been with Toronto since ’18/19.
As our coaching tracker shows, the Bucks either interviewed or were expected to interview at least 13 candidates for the position, including several other former head coaches.
“Handshake Deal” For Kyrie Irving In Dallas?
Representatives of rival teams at last week’s NBA Draft Combine expect Kyrie Irving to re-sign with the Mavericks this summer, writes Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. Dallas missed the playoffs after acquiring Irving from Brooklyn in a February trade and he often appeared to be an awkward fit alongside Luka Doncic, but sources tell Pincus that the Mavs didn’t trade for Irving as a short-term experiment.
“I hear they had a handshake deal before the trade,” one of Pincus’ sources said. “And Kyrie wouldn’t have said yes to anything less than the max.”
Irving will be eligible for a new five-year contract in Dallas that could be worth $272MM, Pincus adds. Although he was an All-Star this season for the 10th time in his career, off-court incidents in Brooklyn — and Boston and Cleveland before that — may limit the number of teams interested in signing him.
“I’m not sure what the market is for Kyrie, but no one with cap room is giving it to Kyrie,” another source told Pincus. “He comes with too much drama.”
Pincus talked to an agent who expects Irving to receive a four-year deal with a player option on the final season. It would be worth about $201MM in guaranteed money and would line up with Doncic, who can opt out of his current contract in 2026.
In an appearance Monday on ESPN’s “Get Up,” Brian Windhorst suggested that the Lakers shouldn’t be dismissed as a possible Irving suitor (video link). L.A. was reportedly interested in Irving when he considered opting out of his contract last summer and again when he submitted a trade request to the Nets in February.
Windhorst admits the Lakers would have to give up most of the assets they just acquired in order to sign Irving outright, but he says the landscape could be more favorable if Dallas would agree to a sign-and-trade. Regardless, Windhorst added that it helps Irving’s negotiating position if he can convince the Mavericks that L.A. is interested.
Pincus also talked with several sources who expect Dallas to be a potential landing spot for Suns center Deandre Ayton, who shares an agent with Doncic.
“The Suns need depth,” a source told Pincus. “I can see them getting Tim Hardaway Jr., JaVale (McGee) back, Josh Green and No. 10 (draft pick). Phoenix would probably flip the pick to another team for depth, or maybe it’d be a big multi-team deal.”
Pincus lists Maxi Kleber, Davis Bertans, Reggie Bullock and Jaden Hardy as other players who might be moved in a hypothetical Ayton trade, but he notes that Kleber is among Doncic’s best friends on the team, which gives Dallas incentive to keep him.
Lakers Notes: Russell, Game 4, Strategy, Injuries
For all the adjustments Lakers coach Darvin Ham has made in the playoffs, he has remained committed to keeping D’Angelo Russell in his starting lineup, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic. Russell has been a starter since he was acquired from the Timberwolves in February, and Ham indicated that he’s likely to remain in that role even though he hasn’t played well in the first three games against Denver.
“Sometimes the greatest adjustment is just to play better,” Ham said at Sunday’s practice. “Play harder. Play better. Sometimes that’s the most key adjustment. It’s funny, (how) it’s almost becoming cliché. (People say), ‘What’s your adjustments, adjustments, adjustments?’ Sometimes you go in there, and you take a long, hard look at the film to clean up what you need to clean up, and you try to do what you’re doing better.”
Russell is averaging 7.0 PPG in the Western Conference Finals while shooting 29.6% from the field and 14.3% from three-point range. The Nuggets are also targeting him on defense to get easy scoring opportunities. While a recent report indicated the Lakers are concerned about the possible long-term effects of taking away Russell’s starting job, Ham said he still believes in his point guard, who was effective in the first two rounds of the playoffs.
“We know he can make those shots,” Ham said. “So the biggest thing is not to get depressed, not to get down, continue to be aggressive, continue to be assertive, and eventually that ball will go in.”
There’s more on the Lakers:
- Facing the nearly impossible task of winning a playoff series after falling behind 3-0, the Lakers have narrowed their focus to just getting a victory Monday night, per Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Historically, NBA teams with that deficit are 0-149, but Ham doesn’t want his players to believe the situation is hopeless. “We’re alive, man. The series is not over,” he said. “… The only thing we have to do is just focus on one game. We don’t have to be overwhelmed about the outside noise or the overall series. We just have to worry about one game, what’s exactly in front of us.”
- The Lakers may want to use Jarred Vanderbilt or another tall defender to slow down Jamal Murray, who has strung together two 37-point games, suggests Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Zillgitt offers a few other strategy recommendations, including larger roles in the offense for LeBron James and Austin Reaves.
- James (right foot stress injury) and Anthony Davis (right foot soreness) are the only names on the Lakers’ injury report for Game 4 and they’re both listed as probable, Turner tweets.
Heat Notes: Vincent, Robinson, Love, Motivation, Herro
The Heat were ready when the Celtics started throwing double teams at Jimmy Butler on Sunday night, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Although the strategy was effective in slowing down Butler, who was limited to 16 points after coming into the game averaging 31.1 PPG in the playoffs, it created open opportunities for his teammates.
Gabe Vincent scored a career-high 29 points while shooting 11-of-14 from the field and 6-of-9 from three-point range. Duncan Robinson hit 5-of-7 from beyond the arc and contributed 22 points off the bench as Miami connected at 54.3% on three-pointers during the game.
“We’ve been dealing with this for a little bit, not just in the postseason,” coach Erik Spoelstra said of the double teams on Butler. “There were a handful of key games going down the stretch where teams were committed to trying to take the ball out of his hands. So that gave us some things to work on during the regular season.”
There’s more from Miami:
- Kevin Love didn’t return to Sunday’s game after leaving midway through the first quarter with a left ankle injury, Chiang adds. He was back on the bench in uniform and warmed up for the second half, but Spoelstra decided not to risk putting him on the court with a commanding lead. “He says he’s fine,” Spoelstra told reporters after the game. “He was a little bit, like, scared about it. He said he probably could have gone in in the second half, but I just wanted to re-evaluate. We were up 15. I was like, all right, let’s make sure we know what’s going on.”
- The Heat entered the series determined to get revenge on the Celtics for beating them in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Miami is motivated by the memory of its Game 7 loss when Butler’s late three-point attempt bounced off the rim. “I just think that we got the matchup we wanted,” Caleb Martin said. “We got to see the team who took us out last year. … We are playing like we have something to prove.”
- Tyler Herro, who had surgery after breaking two fingers on his shooting hand in Miami’s playoff opener five weeks ago, had his brace removed, tweets Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Herro still hasn’t been medically cleared to resume shooting.
Carmelo Anthony Announces Retirement
Carmelo Anthony has retired from the NBA after 19 seasons, making the announcement on Monday in a video (Twitter link).
The 38-year-old forward was a 10-time All-Star and a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team. He ranks ninth on the career scoring list with 28,289 points in 1,260 career games with the Nuggets, Knicks, Thunder, Rockets, Trail Blazers and Lakers.
“Now the time has come for me to say goodbye,” Anthony said in the video. “To the court where I made my name, to the game that gave me purpose and pride.”
Anthony remained unsigned this season after averaging 13.3 PPG in 69 games with L.A. in 2021/22. There was a rumor in February that Kevin Durant and Chris Paul might lobby the Suns to add him as a veteran off the bench, but nothing was ever worked out. He also reportedly drew interest from teams in Taiwan last November, but wasn’t willing to play there.
The Hall of Fame will likely be the next stop for Anthony, who was selected with the third pick by Denver in the 2003 draft after winning a national championship in his lone season at Syracuse. He played eight seasons with the Nuggets before moving on to New York, where he captured the league’s scoring title in 2013.
In addition to his NBA accomplishments, Anthony leaves behind a strong legacy in international competition. He appeared in four Olympics, winning three gold medals and a bronze, and represented Team USA in the World Championship and Americas Championship as well.
Anthony will serve as one of three global ambassadors for this year’s FIBA World Cup.
Joe Mazzulla In Jeopardy After Game 3 Loss?
The Celtics‘ embarrassing Game 3 loss to Miami could lead to significant changes this offseason, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Boston entered the conference finals as the odds-on favorite to win the NBA title, but the team didn’t look anything like a champion in Sunday’s 128-102 defeat. The Heat seized control of the game late in the first quarter and led by as many as 33 points before the night was over.
The most obvious questions center on the future of head coach Joe Mazzulla, who has been overmatched by Heat mentor Erik Spoelstra in the series. Windhorst states that Mazzulla seemed well-positioned to return for another season before Game 3, but the Celtics’ lifeless performance makes his job much less safe.
Mazzulla accepted blame for the loss, repeatedly telling reporters, “I just didn’t have them ready to play,” and adding, “I have to get them in a better place ready to play, and that’s on me.”
Windhorst believes Mazzulla went too far in trying to protect his players with his post-game comments, stating that they were so “over-the-top” that they came off as “transparent.”
President of basketball operations Brad Stevens remains a strong supporter of Mazzulla, Windhorst adds. Stevens selected Mazzulla to run the team after Ime Udoka was suspended last fall and then appointed him as permanent head coach in midseason.
However, Windhorst cites a “rising expectation” that Mazzulla will become the fall guy for the disastrous playoff ending it appears the Celtics are headed toward. He was given an undisclosed contract extension when the “interim” was removed from his title in February, but the organization may decide that a 34-year-old with no prior head coaching experience isn’t the right person to run a team with championship aspirations.
The recent firings of high-profile coaches such as Mike Budenholzer, Nick Nurse and Doc Rivers, who have all led teams to titles, may make Mazzulla’s future even more tenuous.
Boston also has to determine this summer whether to give Jaylen Brown an extension worth more than $280MM that he qualified for by earning All-NBA honors. Brown has been particularly bad against Miami, shooting 2-of-20 from three-point range, including an 0-of-7 performance Sunday night.
Windhorst states that questions are re-emerging about whether Brown and Jayson Tatum should be the foundation of the team. It will eventually cost the Celtics more than $50MM apiece annually to keep them together, and the front office has to determine whether that’s the best pairing for the future.
Barring an unprecedented turnaround, the Celtics will enter the offseason haunted by the feeling that the team wasn’t prepared for the Game 3 challenge and quit when things got tough. Another loss Tuesday night could set the direction for a summer upheaval.