Wes Unseld Jr. To Be Finalist For Bulls’ Head Coaching Job?
The Bulls are casting in a wide net in their search for a new head coach, reportedly talking to at least a dozen names about the position. One of those candidates is no longer available after Spurs top assistant Sean Sweeney was hired to be the Magic‘s new top coach.
League sources tell Jake Fischer and Marc Stein Line (Substack link) that Sweeney ranked highly on Chicago’s initial list of candidates, and Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints has heard similarly (Twitter link).
Chicago is expected to have a list of finalists for the job by “early next week at the latest,” according to Fischer and Stein, who report that current assistant coach Wes Unseld Jr. is expected to be part of that group.
Unseld, 50, has been the Bulls’ top assistant for the past two seasons under Billy Donovan, who decided to part ways with the organization about a week after the 2025/26 season ended. Unseld was previously the Wizards’ head coach for two-and-a-half seasons and was an assistant for 16 years before that.
In addition to Unseld, Siegel states that Chris Quinn (Heat) and Micah Nori (Timberwolves) are still candidates for Chicago’s head coaching job. Fischer and Stein also mentioned Nori — a finalist in Portland’s search — in connection to the Bulls’ opening.
The Bulls’ search is being led by new head of basketball operations Bryson Graham, but former top executive John Paxson, who is now a senior advisor, has also been part of the interview process, per Fischer and Stein.
Pelicans’ G League Affiliate Hires Thomas Scott As GM
The Pelicans‘ G League affiliate, the Laketown Squadron, has named Thomas Scott as its new general manager, the team announced (via Twitter).
Scott has held a variety of positions in professional basketball over the years, per the statement, including player development, basketball operations, coaching, and talent evaluation. He was most recently director of basketball operations for the BIG3 league and an assistant coach with the now-defunct G League Ignite.
Scott got his NBA start as an assistant video coordinator with the New Orleans Hornets and was also a player development coach with the Cavaliers and Lakers. He has extensive coaching experience at the NBAGL level, including stops with five different organizations.
The Laketown Squadron recently rebranded because the team is relocating from Birmingham, Alabama (over 300 miles from New Orleans) to Kenner, Louisiana (about 13 miles from New Orleans) ahead of the 2026/27 season. The Squadron released a Q&A with Scott, whose father is former NBA player and head coach Byron Scott.
“I’m incredibly excited and grateful for this opportunity. This is very sentimental to me because this is where my basketball journey began,” the younger Scott said. “I attended college here and started my NBA career working in the Hornets’ video room. My goal is to create something special for the fans of New Orleans, and it’s truly difficult to put into words how much this opportunity means to me.”
Latest On Giannis Antetokounmpo
Discussing the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade market during the latest episode of the Milwaukee Bucks Point Forward podcast, Bucks beat writer Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel suggested that the lack of concrete updates recently may, paradoxically, suggest that talks are getting more serious.
“I’m not reporting anything, but the quiet is eerie,” Owczarski said (Twitter audio link). “And what I mean by that is that means something’s happening. And that’s just being on the beat for six years. That’s how (Bucks general manager) Jon Horst operates. Jrue Holiday appeared out of thin air. Damian Lillard appeared out of thin air. Trading Giannis Antetokounmpo is not something that is going to be leaked and sort of bread-crumbed out in public. That’s just not how this is going.
“I think the lack of news…and the quiet on a story that’s been pursued nationally for so many years indicates that all of the parties involved have gone omertà. The code of silence. You generally don’t do that unless you’re trying to get something done.”
Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam stated about four weeks ago that the team hopes to have resolution one way or the other on the Antetokounmpo saga by the draft, and there’s no indication that timeline has changed. As Owczarski notes, if Milwaukee does trade the star forward, the team would like to be able to add at least one pick in a loaded 2026 draft.
Of course, Haslam didn’t say that a trade must happen by the draft — it’s also possible that Antetokounmpo could make a long-term commitment to the Bucks and tell the front office he plans to sign a new contract when he becomes extension-eligible in October. However, Owczarski says he’s not sure how much the team has explored the possibility of trying to acquire another star player to pair with Giannis.
Here are a few more Giannis-related items of interest:
- Later in the Point Forward podcast, Owczarski discussed what a package from the Heat for Antetokounmpo might look like and speculated about what the Magic would have to offer to get Milwaukee’s attention (video link via The Journal Sentinel).
- The Heat‘s interest in acquiring Antetokounmpo remains just as strong as it was before February’s trade deadline, league sources tell Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald, who says Bam Adebayo is the only Miami player “off limits” in the team’s trade talks with the Bucks. The Heat already have a good idea of which of their players Milwaukee likes, Jackson writes, noting that it’s “doubtful” Miami would draw the line on any specific role player. Jackson says that any trade is more likely to happen sometime after the NBA Finals end, in case more suitors emerge in the coming weeks, and adds that the Heat aren’t concerned about the offensive fit of a potential Adebayo/Antetokounmpo pairing.
- While the Celtics loom as a potential wild card in the Giannis sweepstakes, Jay King of The Athletic considers whether taking that sort of swing would be in Boston’s best interest, pointing out that president of basketball operations Brad Stevens could aggressively reshape his roster this summer without targeting Antetokounmpo.
- Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, who has been putting together several hypothetical trade packages for Antetokounmpo in recent weeks, ranks those hypothetical returns for the Bucks, suggesting that the Cavaliers would be well positioned to win the bidding if they change their stance on Evan Mobley and become more willing to discuss the big man with the Heat.
Mavericks Notes: Finley, Nori, Pre-Draft Workouts
After the Mavericks hired Masai Ujiri as their new president and Mike Schmitz to be their general manager, word broke that Matt Riccardi, who served as the team’s co-interim GM during the 2025/26 season, would be leaving the organization. There have been no such updates on Michael Finley, who was the Mavs’ other co-interim GM following Nico Harrison‘s dismissal in the fall.
Finley spent nearly nine years in Dallas as a player and has been part of the club’s front office since 2017. Minority stakeholder Mark Cuban, the majority owner of the team when Finley was originally hired, hopes the former guard’s stint in the basketball operations department continues — and has said as much to Ujiri.
“(Finley) is our legacy guy,” Cuban said during a special episode of the House of Haymaker show with Ben Rogers and Jeff “Skin” Wade. “You need somebody there that’s a connection to the past and knows everybody, that has been there a while. … My strong recommendation (to Ujiri) is that you keep Michael Finley.”
According to Cuban, Ujiri didn’t commit one way or the other to his plans for Finley and the rest of the front office.
“(He) just said, ‘Thank you,’ and that was it,” Cuban said.
Cuban also spoke during his House of Haymaker appearance about the Luka Doncic trade – which he said Finley called “the wrong thing to do” – and the fact that Dirk Nowitzki “didn’t agree with” the 2021 hiring of Harrison, among other topics.
We have more on the Mavericks:
- Appearing on SiriusXM NBA Radio on Tuesday, Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori said he hadn’t “heard anything really” from the Mavericks about their head coaching opening so far, but had engaged in “a few conversations here and there” with the Trail Blazers and Bulls, as Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal relays. Although Nori added that his discussions with those teams hadn’t gotten “too serious” at that point, one report today suggested he’s a finalist for Portland’s head coaching job and that Dallas also has interest in interviewing him.
- Obi Agbim (Baylor), Michael Ajayi (Butler), Christian Anderson (Texas Tech), Tucker DeVries (Indiana), and Wyatt Fricks (Marshall) were in town on Wednesday to work out for the Mavericks, according to Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required). Of those five players, Anderson is the most noteworthy — he’s a projected first-round pick who ranks 18th overall on ESPN’s big board.
- The Mavericks are currently armed with the ninth, 30th, and 48th overall picks in this month’s draft. In an effort to get a better sense for which players the team might be eyeing at those spots, Curtis (subscription required) takes a closer look at Ujiri’s draft history during his time in Denver and Toronto. Based on those past draft results, Curtis writes that Ujiri has shown a willingness to take a shot on versatile wings who can score and defend, as well as international prospects and score-first guards.
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Blazers Down To Three Head Coaching Finalists?
The Trail Blazers are still considering three candidates for their head coaching vacancy, according to Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).
The finalists who remain in the running, per Fischer and Stein, are Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, Celtics assistant Tyler Lashbrook, and Portland’s own interim coach Tiago Splitter.
Those coaches were identified last month as three of the five finalists for the Blazers’ job, along with Clippers assistant Jeff Van Gundy and Jazz assistant Mike Williams. Sources tell The Stein Line that Van Gundy and Williams didn’t advance to the final stage of Portland’s head coaching search.
Assuming another finalist isn’t added to the mix at the 11th hour, it sounds like one of Nori, Lashbrook, or Splitter will become the Trail Blazers’ permanent head coach. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean a decision is imminent.
As Fischer and Stein explain, Portland’s process has been slowed to some extent by the Carolina Hurricanes’ run to the NHL’s Stanley Cup finals. Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon also owns the Hurricanes, who will be looking to get on the board in their series against Las Vegas on Thursday after losing Game 1 on Tuesday.
The Trail Blazers’ coaching search began before their season was over, with Dundon reaching out to candidates while Splitter was attempting to get his team past San Antonio in the first round. Portland technically still hasn’t formally parted ways with Chauncey Billups, who opened the 2025/26 season on the team’s bench, but he was arrested in October in connection with an illegal gambling investigation and isn’t expected to ever coach another game for the Blazers.
Splitter, initially an assistant under Billups, took over one game into the regular season and led the Blazers to a 42-39 record the rest of the way. The team earned the No. 7 seed with a play-in win over Phoenix and then fell to the Spurs in five games in the Western Conference quarterfinals.
Dundon’s decision to look for Splitter’s potential replacement before the season ended reportedly rubbed some potential targets the wrong way, and rumors that the new Blazers owner was looking to pay his new coach a salary well below the going rate likely didn’t help matters, though the team pushed back on those reports.
For what it’s worth, neither Nori nor Lashbrook has NBA head coaching experience, and Splitter’s stint filling in for Billups this season represented his first NBA head coaching job. In other words, it’s unlikely that any of those three candidates would have the leverage to negotiate a high-end salary.
Hoops Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript: 6/4/2026
Hoops Rumors’ Arthur Hill held a live chat today exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers. Topics included several Pistons decisions for this summer, the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade market, the Bulls' options with the fourth pick, the Knicks' future salary structure and more!
Latest On Mavericks’ Head Coaching Search
We haven’t heard much about the Mavericks‘ head coaching search in the two-plus weeks since the team parted ways with Jason Kidd, but league sources tell Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link) that Dallas has begun seeking permission to speak to candidates for the job.
The expectation, according to Fischer and Stein, is that the Mavs will interview a dozen or so candidates before making a decision.
Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, Rockets assistant Royal Ivey, Raptors assistant Jama Mahlalela, Celtics assistant Tony Dobbins, and Heat consultant Noah LaRoche are among the coaches the Mavericks have either already registered interest in or plan to reach out to soon, sources tell The Stein Line.
Veteran coach Terry Stotts, who isn’t remaining in his position on Steve Kerr‘s staff in Golden State, is also expected to interview for the position, Fischer and Stein add, noting that Stotts – who has previous head coaching experience with Atlanta, Milwaukee, and Portland – currently only has interest in head coaching jobs.
Former Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney was among the potential targets on Dallas’ radar, but he was already far down the road on a deal with the Magic by the time the Mavs reached out and has since been officially hired by Orlando, per The Stein Line.
While the most likely outcome is that the Mavericks hire a coach from the NBA ranks, there have been some exploratory conversations to see whether college coaches like Duke’s Jon Scheyer, who previously coached Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, or Michigan’s Dusty May would have any interest in the Dallas job, Fischer and Stein report. For what it’s worth, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints previously reported that Scheyer is “fully locked in” with the Blue Devils and isn’t interested in leaving Duke at this time, so he’s unlikely to emerge as a legitimate candidate for the Mavs.
According to Fischer and Stein, there’s an expectation that new Mavs president Masai Ujiri, who hired Darko Rajakovic in Toronto, will keep an eye on European options and perhaps explore potential options in the women’s game as well.
Ujiri, who was hired by the Mavs earlier this spring, said in May that he expects the coaching search to be “very comprehesive” and to turn over “every stone.”
“I think our minds are very open,” Ujiri said at the time. “We’re going to look everywhere. …We will really try to look at what’s best for this organization, be it first-time, be it experienced, be it college, be it European. Everywhere. Whatever is best for this organization going forward is what we are going to look at.”
Sixers Officially Name Mike Gansey President Of Basketball Operations
The Sixers have officially announced the hiring of Mike Gansey, confirming today in a press release that the former Cavaliers executive will hold the title of president of basketball operations in Philadelphia.
Word broke last week that Gansey was the 76ers’ choice to run their front office in the wake of Daryl Morey‘s dismissal earlier this spring.
“Today’s announcement of the hiring of Mike Gansey is an important step in our desire to take the Philadelphia 76ers to the next level,” Sixers managing partner Josh Harris said in a statement. “Mike has built a reputation as a tremendous leader and relentless worker who has a sharp eye for basketball talent. We are excited to welcome he and his family to Philadelphia. I look forward to the work he, (Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment president of sports) Bob Myers, and (head coach) Nick Nurse will do to build a contender for this city and our fans.”
Myers also put out a statement in which he said Gansey “really stood out” during the Sixers’ search for a new head of basketball operations and possesses the qualities the team was looking for in its next front office leader.
“He commands respect, has an impressive basketball IQ, and is well respected across players, coaches, and fellow executives,” Myers said. “He has all the attributes necessary to shine in this role.”
Gansey had been working for the Cavaliers for the past decade and a half. He was promoted in 2022 to a general manager role under president of basketball operations Koby Altman after previously spending five years as an assistant GM. We shared several more details on Gansey’s résumé and background in our initial story on his hiring, which you can read here.
In his own statement, Gansey thanked the Cavaliers, including Altman and team owner Dan Gilbert, and expressed enthusiasm about his new opportunity in Philadelphia.
“I want to extend my sincere gratitude to Josh Harris, (Sixers managing partner) David Blitzer, and Bob Myers for entrusting me with this incredible opportunity with such an iconic franchise,” he said. “This organization, much like the City of Philadelphia, is deeply rooted in its history and passion, and I am extremely excited to get started.
“To the fans, this is not a responsibility I take lightly. The energy and dedication you pour into the 76ers will fuel us, and the work begins immediately as we position ourselves for the draft, free agency, next season, and beyond.”
According to the Sixers, they’ll hold an introductory press conference for Gansey on Monday at 10:00 am Eastern time.
Knicks Notes: Brunson, Hart, Shamet, Robinson
Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson got off to a slow start in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, scoring just three points on 1-of-7 shooting in the first quarter while committing a pair of turnovers. He also got banged up during the first half of the contest, briefly heading to the locker room near the end of the first quarter to get checked out after taking a shot to his right knee, then getting his ankle stepped on during the second quarter.
However, Brunson ultimately played his usual role of closer for the Knicks, scoring 13 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter to help the club secure a 105-95 victory and take a 1-0 lead in the series. The performance helped continue to secure his place among the Knicks’ all-time greats, as Walt Frazier told Ian O’Connor of The Athletic.
“He’s got the tenacity of Willis Reed and he’s got my cool,” Frazier said. “… Jalen kept struggling through it, and you could see he was hurting. Kudos to the coach for keeping him out there and thinking Jalen can still get it back.”
As O’Connor writes, the win represented another step toward proving that Brunson can become the rare “small” guard to lead his team to a championship. He’s three victories away from joining stars like Isiah Thomas and Stephen Curry in that exclusive group.
“Jalen is absolutely good enough to win it all,” Thomas said prior to Game 1, per O’Connor. “As small players, we tend to get overlooked even though we’re always beating bigger players. In people’s minds there seems to be some height and weight requirement to win a championship. Jalen won (an Illinois) state title in high school. He won two national titles in college, and now he’s in the NBA Finals. He’s just a winner.
“People say, ‘Well, Jalen’s not as good as this one or that one,’ but when you put him between the lines with those guys, his teams win and those guys’ teams lose. What the hell are we doubting Jalen for? People say he doesn’t have the height or body type, but he beats all the people who do have those things.”
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Wednesday’s contest was a quintessential Josh Hart game, according to Zach Braziller of The New York Post, who notes that the versatile forward had a major impact despite only scoring three points on 1-of-5 shooting. In just 27 minutes of action, Hart grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds while adding six assists and four steals. The Knicks outscored the Spurs by 22 points when he was on the floor. “That’s just who he is. He’s always been that way. I can’t explain it,” Brunson said of his longtime Knicks and Villanova teammate. “He just has a knack for doing things like that, and in crucial times as well. It’s a credit to who he is as a player.”
- Only Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns played more minutes than Landry Shamet (33) in Wednesday’s win, as the reserve wing continued an impressive postseason run by scoring 13 points and earning praise from head coach Mike Brown for his defense, per Howie Kussoy of The New York Post. Shamet was out of the rotation early in the postseason but has been a critical contributor in recent weeks as he increases his value ahead of unrestricted free agency.
- Knicks center Mitchell Robinson, who had two points and six rebounds in 13 minutes of action off the bench in Game 1, didn’t seem to be limited despite undergoing surgery to repair a fifth metacarpal fracture less than a week ago, writes Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. “I didn’t think he was (limited),” Brown said. “I’ve got to go back and watch the tape. He caught a lob. He was still a vertical threat. … And then defensively, I thought he was pretty good as well, trying to rebound, keeping those guys off the glass.” How Robinson sustained the injury remains a mystery — he declined comment when asked after the game, telling reporters that he’s “here for basketball.”