Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo Out For Game 4
As expected, Bucks stars Damian Lillard (right Achilles) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (left calf) have been ruled out Sunday’s Game 4 in Indiana, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Both players had previously been listed as doubtful.
Lillard has been dealing with pain in his Achilles tendon for a few weeks. Although he said he was feeling much better entering the playoffs, he aggravated the injury in Friday’s Game 3, which Milwaukee lost in overtime.
Antetokounmpo has been sidelined since April 9 due to a left soleus strain, which is one of the muscles in the calf. The two-time MVP had another incredible regular season in 2023/24, averaging 30.4 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 6.5 APG, 1.2 SPG and 1.1 BPG while shooting a career-high 61.1% from the field in 73 games (35.2 MPG), but has been injured in the playoffs for the second straight year.
As Nehm writes in a full story for The Athletic, the Bucks are approaching tonight’s Game 4 with a “next-man-up mentality.”
“I think for us, it’s our competitive nature,” wing Pat Connaughton said. “We believe we have a locker room of great players and we have guys that can have a ‘next-man-up mentality’ and can play. We have guys who have been situations and obviously delivered in the past, especially in the postseason. So making sure we lean on them.
“Just making sure that we don’t let those things mentally let us off the hook. It’s the playoffs. Everyone’s dealing with something, on our side, on their side, how do we fight through it? How do we find ways to win one game, win a battle? Overall, the series will be the war, but try to win a battle on Sunday and make sure we do it together and make sure we pick each other up with whatever it might be.”
Milwaukee currently trails the first-round series with Indiana 1-2.
Knicks’ Bogdanovic Has Wrist Injury, May Need Offseason Surgery
Knicks forward Bojan Bogdanovic recently underwent an MRI on his sore left wrist, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who reports (via Twitter) that the 35-year-old has ligament damage and may need surgery in the offseason.
Bogdanovic plans to play through the injury for the remainder of the playoffs, Scotto adds.
It’s unclear when the Croatian veteran initially sustained the wrist injury, but he has been wearing a wrap on it since April 7, a week before the regular season ended.
New York acquired Bogdanovic and Alec Burks from the Pistons at the February trade deadline in the deal that sent Quentin Grimes to Detroit.
It’s a tough blow for the Knicks, who are already shorthanded in the frontcourt with Julius Randle out due to season-ending shoulder surgery. Mitchell Robinson‘s left ankle sprain could keep him on the sidelines for Sunday’s Game 4 as well.
Bogdanovic put up big offensive numbers in starting roles with Indiana, Utah and Detroit over the past several seasons, but he hasn’t been as effective or efficient for New York. Through three playoff games in 2023/24, he’s averaging 8.0 PPG and 4.0 RPG in 16.7 MPG. While he has converted 40% of his three-point looks (6-of-15), he’s just 1-of-9 on twos (11.1%).
Bogdanovic’s $19MM salary for ’24/25 is only partially guaranteed for $2MM. He could be a free agent this summer if the Knicks release him before his contract becomes fully guaranteed.
The Knicks currently have a 2-1 lead in their first-round series with the 76ers.
Trey Alexander Among Latest Draft Early Entrants
Creighton’s Trey Alexander is entering his name in the 2024 NBA Draft pool, he announced on Twitter. The junior guard’s statement doesn’t say anything about maintaining his remaining college eligibility, and he confirmed to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports he intends to turn pro (Twitter link).
An All-Big East Second Team selection in 2023/24, Alexander averaged 17.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.1 steals on .446/.339/.824 shooting in 35 games (37.3 MPG) for the Bluejays, who were eliminated in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
Alexander first tested the draft waters last spring before withdrawing and returning to school. At the time, he was ranked No. 89 on ESPN’s big board. For 2024, he has moved up to the No. 63 spot on ESPN’s list, making him a potential second-round pick.
Here are a few more early entrants:
- Belgian forward Thijs De Ridder is entering the draft, according to his agency, Tangram Sports (Twitter link). The 21-year-old has been playing for Bilbao Basket in Spain’s top basketball league this season (hat tip to RookieScale.com). According to Basketball-Reference, De Ridder has averaged 6.2 points and 4.1 rebounds on .520/.395/.656 shooting in 31 Liga ACB games this season (17.5 MPG).
- British guard Quinn Ellis is entering the 2024 draft pool, per Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress.com (Twitter link). Ellis, 21, has spent the 2023/24 season with Trento, a team that played in the EuroCup tournament and Italy’s top basketball league (Lega Basket Serie A).
- Senegalese center Mouhamed Faye, a 19-year-old who plays for Pallacanestro Reggiana in Italy’s top league, is declaring for the draft (Twitter link via Sigma Sports).
The NBA’s early entrant deadline officially passed last night, but there will likely be more names trickling in before the league releases its full list of draft-eligible players.
Pacific Notes: Suns, Leonard, George, Curry
The Suns are one loss away from what could be a very uncomfortable offseason and the only way to avoid it is to become the first team ever to overcome a 3-0 deficit, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. A loss on Sunday would be a monumentally disappointing way to end the season after acquiring Bradley Beal last summer to form a Big Three with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.
With so much as stake, players are trying to avoid being overwhelmed by the enormity of the challenge ahead.
“I’m the type that just focuses on the next game,” Booker said. “So, play by play, possession by possession. They say no one has ever done it before. That’s exciting.”
Beyond the 3-0 margin, it’s concerning for Phoenix that none of the games have been very close. Rankin notes that the Suns are losing by an average of 17.6 points per game and are scoring just 99 PPG against a Minnesota defense that ranks at the top of the league. Coach Frank Vogel and his staff have a lot to figure out to make the series competitive.
“So far, they’ve been too much for us to handle, but the series is not over,” Vogel said. “I expect our guys to play better and I feel like we still have a lot of fight in us.”
Added Beal, “I’ve never been swept a day in my life. I be damn if that happens.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Clippers still aren’t sure about the Game 4 availability of Kawhi Leonard, who continues to battle inflammation in his right knee, per Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Leonard participated in practice on Saturday, which didn’t involve any contact drills, and the team’s medical staff will closely monitor Leonard if he’s able to take the court on Sunday. “I think just doing what’s right by him,” coach Tyronn Lue said. “So, just talking to medical staff throughout the course of the game, talking to him, seeing how he’s feeling and just kind of go from there. So, he can monitor his own body, he’s grown and he can tell us how he’s feeling. Sometimes you got to protect a player from themselves. And, so, that’s what my mindset is. Kawhi and our staff is the same way.”
- Paul George may be losing some negotiating leverage with a shaky performance in the playoffs, notes Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register. George, who holds a $48.8MM player option for next season, is hoping to reach a long-term extension with the Clippers. He had a chance to cement his value with Leonard’s limited availability, but Swanson observes that the team has been relying on James Harden as its number one option against Dallas.
- Warriors guard Stephen Curry doesn’t expect missing the playoffs to become a habit, relays Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. Appearing on “Inside the NBA” after winning the Clutch Player of the Year award, Curry said he’s been keeping a close eye on postseason action. “I’m taking notes, doing a little scouting, just on the feels of how much I miss that environment, that atmosphere,” he said. “I don’t want our absence to be another year next year.”
Cavaliers Notes: Mitchell, Bickerstaff, Mobley, Garland
Donovan Mitchell accepted responsibility for the Cavaliers‘ woeful offense in Saturday’s loss at Orlando, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Mitchell was held scoreless in the second half — and Cleveland only managed 29 points after intermission — in a lopsided loss that evened the series at 2-2.
“You can’t have a drought like that,” he said. “It starts with me. I didn’t score in the second half. I’ve been starting second halves like that all series. Ten points (for Cleveland in the third quarter) is outrageous. We have to be better. I have to be better. I’m disappointed in myself and I’ll be better.”
Mitchell has been much better in the first half than the second throughout the series, and the Magic were able to completely shut him down today, mostly through the work of Jalen Suggs, who limited Mitchell to 1-of-6 shooting with three turnovers as his primary defender. The Cavs will have to find a way to unleash Mitchell when the series resumes Tuesday to avoid a second straight first-round exit.
“It’s 2-2. You give credit where credit is due. They handled their business at home. That’s it,” Mitchell said. “It’s upsetting we didn’t respond, but we’ll find a way to do it at the crib like we did the first two games. Or else we will be home early. But they did for two games. We did it for two games. It’s best of three now.”
There’s more on the Cavaliers:
- For all the speculation about Mitchell’s extension, Cleveland may have to trade him this summer because he’s a bad fit with the rest of the team, contends Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Vardon notes that Mitchell has only produced two good playoff games since the Cavs traded for him last year, and the team is just 3-6 in the postseason with Mitchell. He has 15 turnovers and seven made threes in the current series while shooting just 25% from beyond the arc.
- J.B. Bickerstaff is being out-coached in a series where his job is probably on the line, Vardon states in the same story. Vardon believes Orlando’s Jamahl Mosley is making better adjustments to the extent that Cavs center Jarrett Allen seemed to question Bickerstaff’s defensive approach after the loss in Game 3.
- The long-term value of Evan Mobley and Darius Garland may also be reexamined if the Cavaliers can’t win the series, Vardon adds. Although Mobley has been a difference maker on defense since he entered the league, his offensive game hasn’t developed and the Magic are dominating him physically in the playoffs, just as New York did last year. Mobley will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer. Garland is in the first season of a five-year extension worth nearly $200MM, and Vardon wonders if the Cavs will be eager to keep both guards if they’re able to reach an extension with Mitchell.
Thunder Notes: Dort, Williams, Playoff Series
Luguentz Dort‘s smothering defense on Brandon Ingram has made him the MVP of the Thunder‘s first-round series so far, writes Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. With Zion Williamson sidelined by a strained hamstring, the Pelicans need Ingram to carry a larger-than-usual share of the offensive load. Dort has made that impossible, holding Ingram in check as Oklahoma City has built a 3-0 series lead.
“My main thing is just to make everything tough,” Dort said. “Whatever I gotta do, if it’s a crazy contest or just running by a guy, anything that I can do to mess up a shot I’ll do it.”
Dort has been an impactful defender since entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2019. Coach Mark Daigneault calls him “relentless” on defense and says he has learned tricks over the past five seasons that have made him even better.
“Some of the stuff with Ingram, even off-ball … he’s just giving the guy different looks,” Daigneault explained. “That’s not the scouting report. That’s just us kind of unleashing him on the game. There’s more of a method to that madness than maybe meets the eye.”
There’s more on the Thunder:
- Jalen Williams survived an injury scare after being hit in the eye on the first possession of today’s game, according to Brett Martel of The Associated Press. Williams was taken to the locker room to have his eye checked, but he was able to return late in the first quarter and wound up scoring 21 points. “Dub’s very talented,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “He was clearly big tonight, very impressive and nothing we’re not used to.”
- With the series well in hand, the Thunder’s biggest concern might be finishing off the Pelicans too quickly, suggests John Hollinger of The Athletic. Game 4 is Monday, and if OKC completes the sweep, the team could have up to eight days off before its second-round series begins. Counting the time off after the end of the season, the Thunder may end up playing just four games in a three-week stretch.
- The Thunder have figured out how to capitalize on the trend of positionless basketball that has swept the NBA over the last few years, Rylan Stiles writes for Sports Illustrated. Stiles notes that virtually every player on Oklahoma City’s roster can do something to create plays on offense. “I think one of the things that I think is pretty evident, especially when you watch the playoffs — the teams that are the most formidable in the NBA are the ones that offensively have multiple creators,” Daigneault said.
Lakers Notes: Game 4, Hachimura, Wood, LeBron
Despite a 3-0 deficit, the Lakers‘ confidence hasn’t waned going into tonight’s Game 4, writes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. L.A. has dropped its last 11 games to Denver, including seven straight in the playoffs, but the players aren’t convinced that the series is over.
“We have the guys here, we have the talent, for sure. You know, I don’t think anybody can beat us, you know, just the talent-wise,” Rui Hachimura said Friday. “… In my opinion, yes, we have the talent here, we have the guys that can beat any team in this league. And I talked to somebody about it too, but just this first round against Denver, it’s a conference final, it’s the exactly last thing. But even that, it’s the same story. We always up 20 and then we just come back and lose. So we just gotta put everything together and tomorrow we’ll see. We’re gonna play the same way and just gotta continue.”
Coach Darvin Ham isn’t planning any changes to his starting lineup, saying he wants to give his current unit a chance to respond to the challenge that the Nuggets present, Woike adds. Ham, whose job may be in jeopardy if the Lakers can’t rally, described the team as disappointed by its performance so far.
“Guys are irritated, frustrated, fed up, ready to make a change in terms of not continuously going down this road,” Ham said. “And the overall theme was just our mindset. Belabor the problems, what’s gone on up to this point or shift our focus to how do we stay alive? And looking at the film, had a really good first quarter. How can we sustain that type of performance during the duration of the game?”
There’s more on the Lakers:
- Christian Wood has been medically cleared for tonight’s game, according to Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. The backup big man underwent surgery in March after missing about a month before that due to swelling in his left knee. Wood appeared in 50 games and averaged 6.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per night in the first season of a two-year contract he signed last summer.
- There was a sharp contrast after Game 3 as Nikola Jokic talked about the long process of building a competitive team and LeBron James questioned what some of his teammates were thinking during the game, notes Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. The stability in Denver may lead to a second straight title, Shelburne adds, while the discord in Los Angeles will likely result in another summer of change.
- Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report examines what the Lakers might look like if James turns down his $51.4MM player option for next season and signs elsewhere in free agency. If D’Angelo Russell, Jaxson Hayes, Cam Reddish and Wood also opt out and New Orleans takes L.A.’s first-round pick this year, the team would have about $32MM in cap space to work with. Pincus suggests that if Russell picks up his option, he could be part of a trade package to obtain a reliable scorer such as Trae Young or Donovan Mitchell.
Sixers Notes: Embiid, Oubre, Hield, Payne
The toughness that Joel Embiid displayed in Game 3 will have to continue for the Sixers to have any chance to win their series with New York, writes Marcus Hayes of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Despite dealing with the pain of a surgically repaired left knee and the difficulties brought on by a mild case of Bell’s palsy, Embiid set a career playoff high with 50 points in Thursday’s crucial victory.
With two days to rest before the series resumes Sunday, Embiid is embracing the challenges of playoff basketball, no matter what physical ailments he has to overcome.
“I want to play as much as possible. I only have about, maybe, eight years left. So I have to enjoy this as much as possible and I want to win,” he said. “I’m just trying to keep pushing. I’m not going to quit. If it’s on one leg, I’m still going to go out there and try, but that’s not an excuse. Got to keep playing better, and better, and better.”
After Game 3, Embiid called the Bell’s palsy “an unfortunate situation” and told reporters, including Tim Bontemps of ESPN, that it started with migraine headaches shortly before Philadelphia’s play-in game last week. He explained that the condition sometimes causes blurred vision, and he frequently has to put drops in left eye to keep it from drying out.
“It’s pretty annoying, you know, with the left side of my face, my mouth and my eye. So yeah, it’s been tough,” Embiid said. “But I’m not a quitter, so gotta keep fighting. But yeah, it’s unfortunate. That’s the way I look at it. But it’s not an excuse. Gotta keep pushing.”
There’s more from Philadelphia:
- Kelly Oubre responded to the Knicks‘ complaints about officiating after Game 3, per Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire. In addition to a free throw disparity, New York players were upset about a Flagrant 1 foul that Embiid committed when he grabbed Mitchell Robinson‘s leg, with Donte DiVincenzo calling it a “dirty play.” Oubre said he has been on the receiving end of that type of contact and doesn’t consider it dirty. He also called for a focus on basketball instead of threats of retaliation. “It’s like, let’s just hoop,” Oubre said at today’s practice. “Let’s go out there and play hard and nobody’s gonna fight. This ain’t WWE. So at the end of the day, stand on the stuff that’ll say so we’ll see tomorrow how they react.”
- Philadelphia police are conducting an internal investigation into whether Oubre received preferential treatment following his auto accident early Tuesday morning, tweets Michael J. Babcock of TMZ Sports. Oubre, who is accused of running a red light and hitting another car, wasn’t cited or given a sobriety test or breathalyzer.
- Buddy Hield played just four minutes in Game 3 and appears to have been replaced in the rotation by Cameron Payne, notes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Hield didn’t get off the bench after the first quarter, while Payne contributed 11 points and three assists in nearly 16 minutes. Hield has been a disappointment since being acquired from Indiana at the deadline, and Pompey suggests the Sixers would probably rather have Marcus Morris, who was shipped to San Antonio in the three-team trade.
Heat Notes: Adebayo, Herro, Rozier, Richardson
With Jimmy Butler sidelined by an MCL sprain, the Heat are comfortable relying on Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro to be their on-court leaders, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Both players responded when they were asked to expand their games in Wednesday’s surprise victory at Boston. Adebayo scored 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting, grabbed 10 rebounds and frequently served as the primary defender on Jayson Tatum.
“He had big responsibilities defensively,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Then on the road, yes, it was really important that we had a place where we could just throw the ball and just kind of get settled, especially when they would go on runs or the crowd would get in it and he produced. He was great when we needed to get it settled and he went right to his spot and was able to get some relief points for us.”
Herro took a larger role in running the offense, handing out a career-high 14 assists to go with 24 points and five rebounds. Ten of his assists came on three-pointers as Miami set a franchise record by sinking 23 threes in a playoff game.
“We need his aggressiveness, we need his scoring, we need his shooting, we need his play-making,” Spoelstra said. “Depending on the possession, it can be any one of those things. But he was good on both ends of the court. He was very good defensively, he was competing on that end, a lot of winning things.”
There’s more from Miami:
- A greater emphasis on three-point shooting was one of the adjustments Spoelstra and his staff made after the Game 1 loss, Chiang adds in a separate story. The Celtics were sending extra defenders at the Adebayo-Herro pick-and-roll, which created open shots from beyond the arc. Defensively, the Heat concentrated on switching rather than the combination of blitzing ball-handlers and drop coverage they used in the opener.
- Terry Rozier will miss his ninth straight game today with a neck issue, but he hasn’t been ruled out for the rest of the first-round series, Chiang states in a mailbag column. Rozier has undergone numerous tests to determine what’s causing the neck pain, and the Heat are being “very cautious” about his condition, Chiang adds. Rozier was a starter before being sidelined, but Chiang doesn’t believe he’ll automatically be inserted back into the starting lineup if he’s able to return.
- In the same piece, Chiang says it’s likely that Josh Richardson will pick up his $3.1MM player option and return to the team next season. Richardson owns a house in Miami and enjoys playing there, and Chiang points out that his market value will be limited after undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery in March.
2024 NBA Head Coaching Search Tracker
With another regular season in the books, multiple teams around the NBA are making head coaching changes in advance of the 2024/25 campaign.
In the space below, we’ll provide regular updates on the head coaching searches for each club that has yet to give anyone the permanent title. Some of these searches could extend well into the offseason, so be sure to check back often for the latest updates.
You’ll be able to access this page anytime under the “Hoops Rumors Features” menu on the right sidebar on our desktop site, or on the “Features” page in our mobile menu.
Updated 11-6-24 (1:30pm CT)
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Brooklyn Nets
- New coach:
- Jordi Fernandez (story)
- Previous coach:
- Kevin Ollie (interim)
- Other finalists:
- Also reportedly considered:
After parting ways with former head coach Jacque Vaughn in February, the Nets launched their head coaching search well before the regular season ended, though they did so in relative secrecy. While they reportedly cast a wide net, considering – and interviewing – many candidates, there were few leaks until word broke on April 13 that it was down to Fernandez, Budenholzer, and Young.
With Budenholzer’s contract demands said to be quite high in terms of both years and dollars, the Nets turned to a first-time NBA head coach, picking Fernandez over Young. While Fernandez has never led an NBA team, he’s not entirely without head coaching experience — he coached the Canton Charge in the G League from 2014-16 and is the current leader of the Canadian national team, which won bronze at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Nets general manager Sean Marks has gone through several head coaches during his tenure in Brooklyn, but this was his most exhaustive search process since he hired Kenny Atkinson back in 2016. Atkinson took over a rebuilding club and got them back to the postseason in his third season. With more foundational pieces in place this time around, the Nets are hoping Fernandez can turn things around even faster.
Charlotte Hornets
- New coach:
- Charles Lee (story)
- Previous coach:
- Steve Clifford (transitioning to front office position)
- Reportedly interviewed:
- Nuggets assistant David Adelman (story)
- King assistant Jordi Fernandez (interviewed before being hired by Nets)
- Kings’ G League head coach Lindsey Harding (story)
- Rockets assistant Royal Ivey (story)
- Clippers assistant Jay Larranaga (story)
- Lakers assistant Jordan Ott (story)
- ESPN analyst J.J. Redick (story)
- Former Vanderbilt coach Jerry Stackhouse (story)
- Suns assistant Kevin Young (interviewed before being hired by BYU)
- Also reportedly considered:
The Hornets were able to get a head start on their head coaching search when Clifford announced during the first week of April that he would be stepping down from his role at season’s end. The team has changed ownership and revamped its front office since Clifford was hired in 2022, so this was new management’s first opportunity to hire a head coach.
The Hornets ultimately chose a familiar face. After being mentioned most frequently as the frontrunner for the job, Celtics assistant Charles Lee agreed to a four-year deal to become Charlotte’s new head coach. Lee, who has received consideration from several teams seeking head coaches in recent years, was an assistant with the Hawks from 2014-18. New Hornets head of basketball operations Jeff Peterson was in Atlanta’s front office at the time, while co-owner Rick Schnall was a minority stakeholder in the Hawks beginning in 2015.
Charlotte, which is building around young players like LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, was said to be seeking a first-time head coach who specializes in player development to lead its young squad. Lee, 39, fits that bill and also has some championship experience under his belt, having served as an assistant with the Bucks during their 2021 championship run.
Cleveland Cavaliers
- New coach:
- Kenny Atkinson (story)
- Previous coach:
- J.B. Bickerstaff (dismissed)
- Reportedly interviewed:
- Also reportedly considered:
Bickerstaff led the Cavaliers to a 48-win season and the franchise’s first playoff series win without LeBron James since 1993. It wasn’t enough to save his job though, with a report following Cleveland’s elimination from the postseason indicating that Donovan Mitchell and other Cavs players didn’t necessarily have full confidence in the veteran coach.
The Cavaliers were said to be seeking a “fresh approach” as they sought to hire a new head coach capable of taking the team deeper into the postseason. Atkinson and Borrego were each identified as the presumed favorite during the process, and it sounded as if Cleveland’s decision came down to the two former head coaches, with Atkinson winning out and receiving a five-year contract.
Atkinson, who previously coached Cavaliers like Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert in Brooklyn, was the choice in part because Cleveland believes he’s the best candidate to bring out the best in rising young star Evan Mobley. He’ll get that opportunity after spending the past three years as Steve Kerr‘s top assistant in Golden State.
Detroit Pistons
- New coach:
- J.B. Bickerstaff (story)
- Previous coach:
- Monty Williams (dismissed)
- Reportedly interviewed:
- Also reportedly considered:
It was just one year ago that Williams signed a six-year, $78.5MM deal that was the most lucrative contract for a head coach in NBA history. After a dismal season that saw the Pistons go 14-68 and set a new single-season record for longest losing streak (28 games), Detroit replaced Troy Weaver with Trajan Langdon as the new head of basketball operations, then decided on a fresh start on the sidelines as well, eating the estimated $65MM remaining on Williams’ contract.
As last season’s record shows, the Pistons aren’t close to contending, so they didn’t need to target a veteran coach with championship experience. While they’d like to take a step forward sooner rather than later, player development remains the priority in Detroit.
That made Bickerstaff a logical choice. While he was let go in Cleveland in part due to the team’s modest postseason results over the last two years, he played a key role in the developmental process that made Darius Garland and Evan Mobley into an All-Star guard and All-Defensive big man, respectively, and in turning the Cavaliers from a lottery team into a solid playoff club.
Bickerstaff reportedly received a five-year deal from the Pistons that includes four guaranteed seasons.
Los Angeles Lakers
- New coach:
- J.J. Redick (story)
- Previous coach:
- Darvin Ham (dismissed)
- Darvin Ham (dismissed)
- Reportedly interviewed:
- Also reportedly considered:
- Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson (story)
Shortly after the Lakers’ season ended, a pair of reports from ESPN and The Athletic classified Ham’s job as being in serious danger and pointed to several specific reasons why. It was clear at that point that Ham wasn’t going to be back in his role as head coach, but the team took three more days to make it official.
Seeking a new head coach to lead a team they still feel is capable of contending, the Lakers reportedly had serious interest in the guy coaching their cross-town rivals. However, the Clippers were said to be highly motivated to retain Lue and backed that up by signing him to a long-term extension.
With Lue off the table, the Lakers cast a wide net and took their time as they consider options ranging from former head coaches (such as Atkinson and Borrego) to veteran assistants (like Adelman, Cassell, and Quinn, among others) to total newcomers (Redick). They reportedly want a “grinder” capable of challenging Lakers players and holding them accountable.
The search took an unexpected turn when a report stated that the Lakers’ top target was actually Hurley, whom L.A. attempted to lure away from the college ranks with a six-year, $70MM deal. However, Hurley passed on that offer in favor of seeking a third consecutive national title at UConn, sending the Lakers back to the drawing board. They ultimately circled back to Redick, who has no coaching experience at the NBA level, agreeing to a four-year, $32MM deal with the ESPN analyst.
Although Redick is LeBron James‘ podcast co-host, reports stated that the Lakers star wasn’t involved in the search and that management was infatuated by Redick’s potential as a coach, given his “basketball IQ” and his “ability to connect with players.” The goal will be to surround him with an experienced coaching staff to help accelerate his learning curve.
Phoenix Suns
In his first season as the head coach in Phoenix, Vogel led the Suns to a 49-33 record and a top-six seed in a competitive Western Conference. However, the club was quickly eliminated from the playoffs, failing to win a single game against the Timberwolves in the first round.
With little flexibility to make major moves affecting their roster this offseason, the Suns decided to make a head coaching change, dismissing Vogel just one season into the five-year, $31MM contract he signed with the franchise last spring. He’ll be replaced by Budenholzer, another veteran coach with a championship on his résumé.
Word broke that the Suns had decided on Budenholzer less than 24 hours after Vogel was fired, so it’s clear the team had a specific candidate in mind and didn’t feel the need to conduct a lengthy search. There was no indication that Phoenix seriously considered anyone else besides the former Bucks head coach, who reportedly agreed to a five-year contract worth in excess of $50MM.
Washington Wizards
- New coach:
- Brian Keefe (story)
- Previous coach:
- Brian Keefe (interim); replaced Wes Unseld Jr. during season (story)
- Reportedly interviewed:
- Spurs assistant Mitch Johnson (story)
- Also reportedly considered:
The Wizards technically made their head coaching change in January, when they removed Unseld from his position and had him transition into a front office role. Keefe was promoted from assistant coach to head coach at that time and was ultimately named Unseld’s permanent replacement in May.
It’s a little surprising that Washington’s new front office, led by president Michael Winger and general manager Will Dawkins, ultimately ended up landing on the in-house option who posted an 8-31 record after taking over for Unseld. But Keefe improved the defense in the second half and is known as a player development specialist, which was the priority for a rebuilding Wizards club.
It’s unclear whether any other candidates received serious consideration for the job. While a May 10 story indicated that interviews would begin soon, there were few leaks throughout the process and little indication of which other contenders received interviews.