Rockets Notes: Free Agent Targets, Burke, Gordon, Draft
The Rockets will target a backup center when free agency opens at the end of the month, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. The team is short on reliable big men after agreeing to trade Christian Wood to the Mavericks, and although Houston will receive Boban Marjanovic in the deal, the front office plans to explore other options on the free agent market.
Feigen identifies Nic Claxton as one possibility, saying the Nets likely wouldn’t match a full mid-level exception offer (starting at $10MM+) because of luxury tax concerns. Claxton was a part-time starter this season and put up career-best numbers with 8.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per night.
Other free agents that Feigen mentions include former Rocket Isaiah Hartenstein, Andre Drummond, Mason Plumlee, Mo Bamba, Hassan Whiteside, JaVale McGee and Dewayne Dedmon. After a promising rookie year, Alperen Sengun is expected to be Houston’s starting center next season.
There’s more on the Rockets:
- As expected, Mavericks guard Trey Burke has officially exercised his $3.3MM player option for next season, which is necessary for the Wood trade to be finalized, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac. The deal still can’t be announced until after Dallas picks at No. 26 on Thursday because the Mavs owe a protected 2023 first-round pick to New York.
- In his latest piece for Substack, Marc Stein confirms that the Rockets are shopping veteran guard Eric Gordon in hopes of getting a first-round pick in return. Houston also tried to move Gordon at the trade deadline, but couldn’t find an acceptable offer. The 33-year-old will make $19.57MM next season and a non-guaranteed $20.92MM in 2023/24.
- In a separate story, Feigen examines the information the Rockets use when evaluating draft prospects. The team was among the first to embrace analytics under former general manager Daryl Morey, but current GM Rafael Stone admits there are many times when the numbers don’t match what talent evaluators believe they’re seeing. “There are so many different tools you can look at,” he said. “If you like a particular stat a majority of the time it can easily lie to you in individual instances. You don’t just go back to work with video. You can back to work with the whole thing. It gives you hints about what you need to study more with a particular player.”
Southeast Notes: Beal, M. Williams, Ross, Atkinson, Hornets Workout
Bradley Beal didn’t provide any hints regarding free agency during a public appearance today, but he revealed that “a lot” of players have been encouraging him to join their teams, writes Noah Trister of The Associated Press. Beal is facing a decision on a $36.4MM player option for next season that will have a huge effect on the Wizards‘ future, but he didn’t give any indication on which way he’s leaning.
The star guard did provide an update on his injured left wrist, which required surgery in February that brought his season to an early end. He said the recovery process is going well and estimates that 80-90% of his range of motion has returned.
“The rest is going to be strengthening and stuff,” he said. “I’m cleared to do stuff on the court now, which is good.”
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- After working out for the Wizards today, Mark Williams said it’s the last one on his schedule before Thursday’s draft, tweets Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. The Duke center also had sessions with the Hornets, Knicks, Spurs and Bulls.
- The Magic are still trying to find a taker for Terrence Ross, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Prior to February’s deadline, Orlando was asking for a first-round pick in exchange for the 31-year-old swingman, but Scotto says teams are hoping the price will fall to multiple second-rounders, just as it did when the Magic traded Evan Fournier. Ross has an expiring $11.5MM contract for next season.
- Before changing his mind about becoming the Hornets‘ next head coach, Kenny Atkinson called all the team’s current assistants and had planned to meet with every staff member before the draft, tweets Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.
- The Hornets hosted six players in a pre-draft workout today, the team tweeted. On hand were Keve Aluma of Virginia Tech, Jamaree Bouyea of San Francisco, Yoan Makoundou of Cholet Basket in France, Wendell Moore of Duke, Scotty Pippen Jr. of Vanderbilt and Jaden Shackelford of Alabama. Charlotte owns the 13th, 15th and 45th picks in the draft.
Lakers Hiring Chris Jent As Top Assistant Coach
Chris Jent will join the Lakers‘ coaching staff as the top assistant to new head coach Darvin Ham, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Jent is a long-time NBA assistant who has been with the Hawks since the 2017/18 season. Wojnarowski notes that he built a strong relationship with Lakers star LeBron James while serving as an assistant in Cleveland from 2006-11. Ham worked with Jent under Mike Budenholzer in Atlanta in 2017-18 and spent the past week recruiting Jent to join his staff, according to Woj.
Jent’s playing career included two brief NBA stops and a career total of six games, but he spent most of his time playing overseas. After retiring, he began his coaching career as an assistant with the Sixers in 2003.
Warriors Notes: Looney, Wiggins, Porter, Salary
With another NBA title in their possession, the Warriors will now see how much of their team they can keep together, writes Logan Murdock of The Ringer. One of the key pieces in question is center Kevon Looney, who will be an unrestricted free agent on June 30. Looney, who became the Golden State’s full-time starting center this season, said he hopes to re-sign with the team.
“This is definitely my number one option,” he said. “I’ve been here my whole career. … So this will definitely be number one.”
Looney should far exceed the three-year, $14.4MM contract he just completed, and the Hornets and Kings are both expected to pursue him, Marc Stein writes in a story for Substack. New Sacramento head coach Mike Brown worked closely with Looney during his time as a Warriors assistant.
There’s more on the NBA champs:
- The Warriors also face a decision on Andrew Wiggins, who will be eligible for an extension this summer ahead of unrestricted free agency in 2023, Murdock adds in the same piece. Wiggins has excelled since coming to Golden State in a 2020 trade and was an important part of this year’s playoff run. “I would love to stay here,” Wiggins said during today’s exit interviews. “This is top-notch. The way they treat their players, the way they treat your family. We’re all one big family. A lot of places might say that, but here their actions show it.” (Twitter link from Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area).
- Free agent forward Otto Porter expressed a similar sentiment in his exit interview, tweets Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Porter will be back on the open market after signing a one-year, minimum-salary deal last summer. “I do know this team can compete for another championship,” he said. “And I think it would be a great opportunity if I can stay here. It would be an amazing to be here with this group of guys again and do it all over again.”
- The Warriors set a league record by spending more than $350MM on combined salary and luxury tax payments this season, and that number could easily top $400MM in the next two years, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link). He points out that payroll would reach $390MM if Looney and Gary Payton II are brought back at $6MM per year and would balloon to $430MM if the Warriors also use their mid-level exception.
Kenny Atkinson Won’t Take Job With Hornets
3:24pm: Atkinson will become the Warriors‘ new top assistant under Steve Kerr, Wojnarowski writes in a full story. He will replace Mike Brown, who is leaving to become the Kings’ head coach.
Wojnarowski states that after Atkinson accepted the Hornets’ job last week, he had “further conversations” with the team that made him reconsider. Sources tell Woj that Atkinson never signed a contract with Charlotte. He informed both clubs of his decision this afternoon.
2:39pm: Kenny Atkinson has decided to remain an assistant with the Warriors rather than becoming the Hornets‘ next head coach, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Charlotte made the decision to hire Atkinson eight days ago, with both sides agreeing in principle on a four-year contract. Former Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts and former Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni were the other finalists for the job. Stotts is also among the reported candidates for the head coaching vacancy in Utah.
Atkinson, 55, just completed his first season as an assistant coach with Golden State, winning an NBA title for the first time in his career. He spent last season as an assistant on Tyronn Lue‘s staff with the Clippers and has been as assistant with the Knicks and Hawks as well. His only head coaching experience came with the Nets from 2016-20.
Recent reports cited positive reaction for the Hornets’ decision to hire Atkinson and noted that he’s well-respected around the league.
Charlotte is left in the difficult position of being without a head coach five days before the draft and 12 days before the start of free agency. It’s not clear yet whether owner Michael Jordan intends to shift to one of his other finalists or start the coaching search over.
Celtics Notes: Game 6, Smart, Brown, Udoka, R. Williams
The Celtics are disappointed to be trailing 3-2 in the NBA Finals, but they were able to overcome the same situation in their second-round series with the Bucks, writes Zach Lowe of ESPN. Players faced that deficit with a surprising calmness after letting a 14-point lead slip away in the fourth quarter of a Game 5 loss at home, Lowe states, and they were able to retake control of the series.
“Everyone looked at each other and kind of gave each other a tap on the back and it was over,” Marcus Smart recalls. “Onto the next one. We all knew. Just stay together. Stay together. We had each other’s back. We knew Game 6 for us, there was gonna be hell to pay. And there was.”
Lowe notes the contrast with how the team handled losing early in the season, citing a November incident in which Smart called out Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum for not passing the ball enough. The comments created “real tension” in the locker room, especially between Smart and Brown, according to Lowe. And although the players have worked out their differences, Lowe says the incident affected the atmosphere surrounding the team for the next two months.
There’s more from Boston:
- Brown called this year’s playoff run a “learning experience” that has helped the Celtics become more resilient in tough situations, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Brown believes playing three elimination games already will benefit the team heading into tonight’s Game 6. “We are not scared. We do not fear the Golden State Warriors,” he said. “We want to come out and play the best version of basketball that we can. We know it’s a good team over there. We know they’ve done it before. But we have all the belief in ourselves. We’re going to come out and leave it all out there. That’s the whole intent.”
- The Celtics plan to spend less time tonight focused on the referees, Bontemps adds. Coach Ime Udoka thought his team got too distracted by the officiating in Game 5.
- Robert Williams could potentially swing the series if the Celtics can find a way to get him more involved with the offense, suggests Brian Robb of MassLive. Williams is shooting 88% from the field against the Warriors’ smaller lineups, but he’s put up just 18 shots through five games.
Texas Notes: Rockets, Wood, Dragic, Roddy, Williams
The players the Rockets will acquire when the Christian Wood trade becomes official may never play for the team, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Houston has agreed to send Wood to the Mavericks in exchange for the 26th pick in next week’s draft and four players on expiring contracts, Boban Marjanovic, Sterling Brown, Trey Burke and Marquese Chriss.
Chriss and Brown both played for the Rockets before, but aren’t expected to be invited to training camp, according to Feigen. He cites Marjanovic as the most likely player to remain with the organization because of his abilities on offense and his willingness to accept a backup role, but adds that Marjanovic’s fate won’t be determined for a while.
None of the players will make more than $3.5MM next season, so they could be waived without a significant impact to the Rockets’ financial situation or they could be moved in other deals. Houston will have 16 players under contract once the deal is complete, along with its two-way players and three picks in the first round of the draft.
There’s more NBA news from Texas:
- Wood’s time with the Rockets has seemed limited ever since the team traded up in last year’s draft to select Alperen Sengun, notes Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Despite Wood’s unique talents, he wasn’t successful at power forward alongside Daniel Theis at the start of the season and he didn’t fit well next to Sengun. Wood also didn’t offer much rim protection as a center and he may not have been interested in re-signing with Houston because of his desire to be with a playoff team, Iko adds.
- Marjanovic was one of Luka Doncic‘s best friends on the team, but the Mavericks could appease Doncic by pursuing fellow Slovenian guard Goran Dragic in free agency, suggests Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link).
- Colorado State’s David Roddy is scheduled to work out for the Mavericks on Friday, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. Dallas won’t have any picks once the Wood deal goes through, but the team could try to trade into the late first round or early second round, where Roddy is projected to be taken.
- Arkansas big man Jaylin Williams worked out for the Spurs on Tuesday, according to Andrew Slater of Pro Insight (Twitter link). Along with three first-round picks, San Antonio has the No. 38 selection, where it could target Williams, who is projected as a mid second-rounder.
Warriors Notes: Green, Game 6, Kerr, Evans
Draymond Green admits the Celtics present certain challenges, but it’s not the same as facing LeBron James in the NBA Finals, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. One victory away from picking up his fourth ring with the Warriors, Green reflected Wednesday on the four Finals matchups with James when he was in Cleveland.
“It doesn’t compare to mentally playing against LeBron James, who I think is arguably the smartest guy to ever play this game,” Green said. “Not one of, he is arguably the smartest guy to set foot on a basketball court. To say that it compares to that, it’s disrespectful to LeBron, and it’s a lie to you.”
Green noted that the Celtics provide matchup problems because they’re “super athletic,” but said he has been able to outthink them so far. He singled out point guard Marcus Smart and coach Ime Udoka as being especially cerebral, but again mentioned James and his ability to diagnose the game.
“Like that’s just a skill that not many people possess,” Green said. “Not many people can come and sit here and find a random stretch from seven minutes to four minutes in the second quarter and give you every play like to the T and not miss a beat. There’s not many people that can do that.”
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Golden State will lean on its experience as it tries to wrap up the series in Boston tonight, according to Kendra Andrews of ESPN. The Warriors have been in this situation plenty of times before and realize the clinching game can be the hardest to win. “You just understand what the nerves are like,” Stephen Curry said. “We understand the specifics of how we need to approach the game from a physicality perspective, our game plan adjustments from Game 5 to Game 6, understanding what the building is going to feel like, that energy, being prepared for it.”
- Steve Kerr has a chance to add another championship to his legacy of success, per Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press. Kerr is already the first person to win at least at least three titles as both a player and a coach. “Just hanging around the right people,” he said as an explanation. “You hang around superstars long enough, you’re going to get some residual success falling your way.”
- Former NBA guard Tyreke Evans was among the players at a Warriors mini-camp held Wednesday, tweets JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors, who adds that Evans worked out for the team in March. Justin Tillman and Louis King also attended.
Hawks Notes: Bogdanovic, J. Johnson, Gallinari, Cooper
Bogdan Bogdanovic had surgery to address inflammation in his right patella tendon, according to a tweet from the Hawks. That confirms a report late last week that the veteran guard had to undergo the procedure because of persistent discomfort in the knee, which bothered him late in the season and forced him to miss the team’s final playoff game.
Bogdanovic is expected to be fully ready in time for the start of the season, the team adds. He will make $18MM next season with an $18MM player option for 2023/24 and could be a trade chip this summer as Atlanta tries to revamp its roster.
The Hawks also issued a medical update on Jalen Johnson, who had a non-surgical procedure on his left knee because of tendinitis (Twitter link). Johnson, who appeared in just 22 games as a rookie, should be available by the start of training camp, according to the team.
There’s more from Atlanta:
- Danilo Gallinari cited a “special bond” with Milan while attending the Italian League finals over the weekend, but said he’s not ready to leave the NBA, according to a BasketNews article. Gallinari, 34, indicated that he might play in Italy eventually, but said he wants to accomplish more in the NBA. He’s entering the final year of his contract with Atlanta at $21.45MM (only $5MM is guaranteed). “The NBA is still in my plans. I want to achieve goals, and when I do, we will see if there is a possibility for me to return to Milan,” he said.
- The Hawks are a wild card in next week’s draft, with opportunities to trade up from No. 16 or trade out of the draft entirely, writes Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Kirschner identifies his favorite targets for the team regardless of the scenario, including Ochai Agbaji, Kendall Brown, Dyson Daniels, Tari Eason, Jaden Hardy and Jeremy Sochan.
- Sharife Cooper, who spent part of his rookie season in the G League and only played 13 games for the Hawks, offers some advice for this year’s draft class in an interview with Rashad Milligan of Rolling Out. “Stay grounded. A lot of things that have never happened in life are going to be thrown at you,” Cooper said. “It’s a different world, a different environment, a place that I can honestly say throws a lot of things at you. You have to be strong, mentally strong, and able to deal with a lot of ups and downs.”
Fischer’s Latest: Turner, Brogdon, Nuggets, Mavericks, Warriors, Lakers
The Pacers are pursuing trade talks involving Myles Turner and Malcolm Brogdon, writes Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. Indiana is exploring what it can get in return for both veteran players as it focuses on becoming younger and rebuilding the roster around Tyrese Haliburton.
Turner was available before the February deadline, but the Pacers couldn’t work out a deal and the 26-year-old center’s season was ultimately cut short by a stress reaction in his left foot. Sources tell Fischer that the team is again considering trading Turner, who has a $17.5MM expiring contract for next season and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2023. Fischer states that the Hornets have interest in Turner and have let it be known that they’re willing to part with the 15th pick in next week’s draft. Fischer cites the Raptors and Knicks as other teams to watch.
New York also has interest in Brogdon, Fischer adds. The Knicks would like to trade up and draft Purdue guard Jaden Ivey, but league executives are skeptical of that happening, according to Fischer. He states that if Knicks executives decide they’re not likely to sign Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson, they could view Brogdon as the best alternative.
The Pacers, who own the No. 6 pick in the draft, would like to acquire an extra first-round selection, Fischer adds. They’re willing to offer the 31st pick and the Cavaliers’ first-rounder in 2023.
There’s more from Fischer:
- After picking up the No. 30 pick in a reported trade with the Thunder, the Nuggets are expected to focus on finding a backup point guard, possibly Gonzaga’s Andrew Nembhard. Denver has already talked to several teams about trading Monte Morris, Fischer adds. He also notes that rival executives believed Oklahoma City might have included Vasilije Micic in the Denver deal. The 28-year-old, who was named EuroLeague MVP this season, has received interest from a number of playoff teams, including the Bucks and Bulls, according to Fischer.
- Two other teams looking to move their first-round picks are the Mavericks at No. 26 and the Warriors at No. 28. Dallas and Golden State prefer to avoid adding another guaranteed salary to already-expensive rosters and would be looking for future draft assets in return. Fischer believes both teams may target draft-and-stash players if they can’t work out trades.
- The Lakers, who currently don’t have any picks in the draft, are hoping to trade into the second round. Sources tell Fischer that the Hawks‘ selection at No. 44 and the Pistons‘ pick at No. 46 are believed to be available.