Combine Notes: Garza, K. Johnson, Barnes, Kuminga
Iowa center Luka Garza was one of the best players in college basketball, but he has to prove to scouts that his skills will translate to the NBA. The Wooden Award winner was hoping to do that at the draft combine this week, but he was slowed by a groin injury, writes Mike Hlas of The Iowa Gazette.
Garza, who ranks 53rd on ESPN’s big board, was forced to sit out the combine scrimmages and was limited to athletic tests and shooting. His performances were among the worst in the shuttle run, sprint and vertical leap, but he was one of the most accurate shooters at the combine.
Garza calls himself “the best big-man shooter in the draft” and has dropped considerable weight as he prepares to turn pro. He is now 243 pounds after playing at 265 at Iowa and credits the change to hiring a dietitian and chef.
“I definitely know the criticisms about my game,” he said. “I’m trying to show I move better than they think. … To me, I welcome it. It’s a to-do list.”
There’s more from the combine:
- Tennessee’s Keon Johnson has been “the biggest standout” at the event, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports. Johnson made headlines this week when he broke the combine record with a 48-inch vertical leap, and he recorded the third-fastest sprint time as well. Hughes notes that Johnson, who is ranked eighth overall by ESPN, has more than just athleticism to offer. He can score, rebound and defend and is working to improve his ball-handling and shooting range.
- The measurements taken at the combine should help Florida State forward Scottie Barnes‘ chances of being selected in the top five, Hughes adds. Barnes is 6’8″ with a 7’3″ wingspan and has the third-largest hands in this year’s class. Hughes suggests the success of former Seminoles teammate Patrick Williams, who was taken at No. 4 last year by the Bulls, could also work to Barnes’ advantage.
- Former G League Ignite star Jonathan Kuminga generated “positive buzz” at today’s pro day, tweets Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report.
Trail Blazers Expected To Finalize Deal With Billups Despite Criticism
The Trail Blazers are receiving public backlash about their choice to hire Chauncey Billups as their next head coach, but the criticism won’t affect their decision, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (video link from “NBA Countdown).
The outcry is related to a sexual assault case involving Billups and some of his teammates in 1997. No criminal charges were brought against Billups, and the case was ultimately settled in civil court.
Wojnarowski says that after talking to Billups on Wednesday, Blazers management conducted an investigation of the charges. Billups’ version of the events in subsequent interviews with general manager Neil Olshey and owner Jody Allen were consistent with what the investigation found and he was offered the job Friday night, Wojnarowski adds.
Portland continues to work out contract details with Billups and is expected to announce his hiring sometime in the next few days, according to Wojnarowski.
The choice of Billups has been unpopular in the Portland media, with John Canzano of The Oregonian calling it “the most pathetic hiring charade in state history.” He points out that the Trail Blazers had a chance to make history by hiring Spurs assistant Becky Hammon, who was a finalist for the job, or they could have brought back Ime Udoka, a former assistant with the team, who was hired by the Celtics instead.
Canzano says the decision on Billups is the work of Olshey, who settled on him early as the primary candidate. Canzano suggests that Olshey has too much power in the organization and is ignoring the team’s history of alienating fans by having too many players accused of serious crimes.
The negative response has even reached Blazers star Damian Lillard, who identified Billups as one of his preferred choices shortly after the team parted ways with Terry Stotts, writes Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian.
After being accused by a fan of being responsible for Billups’ hiring, Lillard tweeted, “Really? I was asked what coaches I like of the names I ‘heard’ and I named them. Sorry I wasn’t aware of their history I didn’t read the news when I was 7/8yrs old. I don’t support Those things … but if this the route y’all wana come at me… say less.”
Magic, Wizards Ask Permission To Interview Jamahl Mosley
The Magic and Wizards have both requested permission to talk with Mavericks assistant Jamahl Mosley about their head coaching vacancies, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times.
A report earlier today indicated that Mosley is likely to leave Dallas after being passed over when the team hired hired Jason Kidd as its new head coach. Mosley, who has been a part of Dallas’ coaching staff since 2014 and has a strong relationship with Luka Doncic, didn’t receive the consideration for the job that he expected.
The 43-year-old has a strong reputation around the league and has been a candidate for other head coaching openings in the past. He began his post-playing career working in player development with the Nuggets in 2005 and was named an assistant coach two years later. He left for Cleveland in 2010 and spent four years there before coming to Dallas.
Mosley has been in charge of the Mavericks’ defensive schemes since 2018 and served as head coach of their Summer League team from 2017-19.
Knicks Notes: Point Guards, Thibodeau, Butler, Robinson
Finding a point guard will be an offseason priority for the Knicks, who have plenty of cap room and draft capital for their search, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. New York’s point guard situation was in shambles by the end of the playoffs, with Elfrid Payton and Frank Ntilikina both out of the rotation and Derrick Rose slowed by a sore knee.
With close to $60MM available to spend, the Knicks can be aggressive on the free agent market. The Raptors‘ Kyle Lowry will be an option, and sources tell Berman that he has wanted to come to New York in the past. However, a long-term contract for the 35-year-old would be considered a gamble.
Lonzo Ball reportedly has interest in joining the Knicks, but he’s a restricted free agent, giving the Pelicans the right to match any offer. Another intriguing name is Spencer Dinwiddie, who might like the idea of moving across town if the Nets don’t make a sizeable offer. Dennis Schröder and Cameron Payne are also available.
If New York opts for a trade, the team has a pair of first-round picks (19 and 21) and two second-rounders (32 and 58) to offer in this year’s draft. Berman addresses the chances of acquiring Damian Lillard, Ben Simmons, Kemba Walker and Jalen Brunson.
There’s more from New York City:
- Coach Tom Thibodeau offered some insight into the Knicks’ draft plans during an appearance Friday on ESPN’s coverage of the combine, Berman adds. Thibodeau said the team wants to “add shooting — not just 3s, but off the dribble as well, wings and guys who can shoot.” He also talked about both trading up and trading out of the draft.
- If the Knicks decide to find their next point guard through the draft, Baylor’s Jared Butler could be an option, according to Ryan Dunleavy of The New York Post. Butler, who is ranked 19th on ESPN’s list of the top 100 prospects, met with Knicks officials Thursday at the combine. “They just really tried to get to know me and pick my brain about certain situations in the game,” Butler said. “Asked about specific things about my time at Baylor, what I learned from that, and how I can translate to their team.”
- Mitchell Robinson has been bulking up while recovering from surgery on his right foot. The Knicks tweeted a photo of him Friday at a lean 275 pounds after being listed at 240 pounds during the season.
Cameron Payne Cleared For Game 4
Suns guard Cameron Payne will be able to play in tonight’s Game 4 of the Western Conference finals, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Payne suffered a sprained left ankle after playing just four minutes in Thursday’s Game 3.
Payne did a tremendous job of filling in for Chris Paul while he was in the league’s health and safety protocols and had to miss the first two games of the series. Payne posted a career-best 29 points in a Game 2 victory, along with nine assists and no turnovers.
Payne is picking an opportune time to turn in the best performances of his career. He will be a free agent this summer and appears to be headed to a large payday, whether it’s with Phoenix or someone else.
A lottery pick in 2015, Payne played for three teams during his first four NBA seasons, then was out of the league last year until the Suns signed him for the restart in Orlando. Phoenix exercised its $1.98MM option on Payne before the start of this season.
Pacific Notes: Ayton, Paul, Kings, Warriors
Suns center Deandre Ayton is playing in the Western Conference finals three years after being the first selection in the draft, but he tells Marc J. Spears of the Undefeated that most fans don’t see him as an elite player. Ayton had the highlight of his career Tuesday night when he dunked off an inbounds pass in the final second to give Phoenix a 2-0 series lead. It put him in the national spotlight after missing the playoffs during his first two NBA seasons.
“I still think they doubt me. I still think they don’t believe yet,” Ayton said. “I might be turning some heads with people that know basketball, like front-office types, and people that really know the game. I know I am probably stepping into the right direction. But I don’t think the world truly, truly sees that. But if I can win this whole thing, that is where I can get my reputation. That is where I can be a star.”
Although he has been effective since entering the league, Ayton has mostly been overshadowed — by Chris Paul and Devin Booker on the Suns and by Luka Doncic and Trae Young in his draft class. Ayton was suspended for 25 games during his second NBA season and has been criticized for a casual attitude, but he credits the arrival of coach Monty Williams and the success the team had after last year’s restart with turning that around.
“Winning was contagious and we added pieces like (Paul), Jae (Crowder), E’Twaun Moore, Langston Galloway and Torrey Craig,” Ayton said. “Those are guys who have been in the game and played at high levels like this. That is the best way I can think of how I turned my career into a positive one.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Suns have listed Paul as probable for Thursday’s Game 3, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times. Paul has missed the first two games of the series while in the league’s health and safety protocols, but he expects to receive clearance to play tomorrow.
- The Kings need more help than the draft can provide, so they should be aggressive about trying to get Ben Simmons from the Sixers, contends Jason Jones of The Athletic. He suggests offering Buddy Hield or Marvin Bagley III along with the No. 9 pick.
- The Warriors have two selections in this year’s lottery, and president of basketball operations Bob Myers won’t say if he plans to hold onto both of them, per Kendra Andrews of NBC Sports. Golden State already has one development project in center James Wiseman and may not have room for two rookies as it hopes to get back into title contention. “We’re not trying to develop players at the risk of losing,” Myers said. “We’re not going to develop and have it cost us games. That’s not the plan.”
Bulls Notes: Lottery, LaVine, Simmons, Dinwiddie, T. Young
The Bulls were among the unluckiest teams at the draft lottery, losing their first-round pick to the Magic when it failed to land in the top four, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Chicago wound up sending the No. 8 selection to Orlando as part of the trade deadline deal involving Nikola Vucevic, and it owes another first-rounder to the Magic in 2023.
With only the No. 38 pick remaining in the July 29 draft, the Bulls will have to explore other ways to improve, Mayberry adds. They’re short on trade assets after investing so much in the roster makeover in March, and they may not have enough cap space to add a meaningful free agent.
Mayberry suggests the Bulls may try to trade back into the first round on draft night, using the expiring contracts of Thaddeus Young ($14.19MM) and Tomáš Satoranský ($10MM), both of which are non-guaranteed, as well as Al-Farouq Aminu ($10.183MM).
They may also reach out to a couple of division rivals who had better fortune at the lottery. The Pistons landed the top overall pick and are likely to draft Cade Cunningham, which could make point guard Killian Hayes available in a trade, Mayberry speculates. Meanwhile, if the Cavaliers get Jalen Green at No. 3, they might be willing to part with Collin Sexton, Darius Garland or Isaac Okoro.
There’s more on the Bulls:
- Zach LaVine‘s inclusion on the Olympic team could be good for the Bulls’ future, states Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. He notes that many star pairings in the NBA began when players got to know each other as Olympic teammates. Cowley cautions it might work the other way, and LaVine, who will be an unrestricted free agent next summer, could get recruited to go somewhere else.
- Ben Simmons‘ playoff struggles and Spencer Dinwiddie‘s decision to turn down his player option for next season create two intriguing options for the Bulls in their search for a point guard, writes Jamal Collier of The Chicago Tribune. Simmons would be an ideal backcourt partner for LaVine, Collier notes, but it would be hard to put together an enticing offer for the Sixers without giving up LaVine in return. Dinwiddie will be seeking more than the $12.3MM he opted out of, but Collier expects concerns about his partially torn ACL to keep the price tag down.
- Thaddeus Young has been chosen as this year’s winner of the NBA Hustle Award, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The honor goes to the player who makes the most energy and effort plays during the season.
Kawhi Leonard Ruled Out For Game 3
The Clippers have another 0-2 hole to climb out of, but this time they’ll have to do it without Kawhi Leonard. The star forward has officially been ruled out of Thursday’s Game 3 of the Western Conference finals, tweets Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times.
Leonard hasn’t played since hurting his knee nine days ago in Game 5 of L.A.’s series against the Jazz. The Clippers managed to win the final two games of that series without him, but are staring at a deficit again after dropping back-to-back games in Phoenix.
Coach Tyronn Lue said over the weekend that he’s preparing to play the entire conference finals without Leonard, just to avoid the game-to-game uncertainty of whether he’ll be available.
The Clippers are officially calling Leonard’s knee injury a sprain, but few details have been released about the severity. There was concern last week that he might have damaged his ACL, but no one has confirmed whether that happened.
Hawks Will Have Bogdan Bogdanovic, Cam Reddish For Game 1
Hawks shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic has been cleared to play in tonight’s opener of the Eastern Conference finals, tweets Malika Andrews of ESPN. He had been listed as questionable because of soreness in his right knee and was a game-time decision.
Bogdanovic, who is in the playoffs for the first time in his four-year career, has been an effective weapon for Atlanta. He averaged 14.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists in the first round against the Knicks and posted a 13.3/3.9/1.7 line in the seven-game series with the Sixers.
Small forward Cam Reddish will return to the lineup after missing the past four months with right Achilles soreness, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Reddish returned to practice early this month, but he hasn’t appeared in a game since February 21.
Coach Nate McMillan made the announcement in a pre-game session with reporters, but said there’s no guarantee Reddish will see any action, adds Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter). McMillan noted that Solomon Hill and Tony Snell are ahead of him in the rotation and said the team will be careful with Reddish whenever he plays.
In his second NBA season, Reddish averaged 11.2 points and 4.0 rebounds through 26 games before being sidelined with the Achilles issue.
Nets Notes: Udoka, Coaching Staff, Claxton, Durant
The Nets will have to find a new assistant coach to coordinate their defense now that Ime Udoka is finalizing a deal to become head coach of the Celtics, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Udoka only spent one season with Brooklyn, coming to the team from Philadelphia after the Sixers’ coaching shake-up last offseason, but he quickly earned respect throughout the organization.
Lewis describes Udoka, who spent 10 years as an NBA assistant, mostly in San Antonio, as a “no-nonsense, tough-love” coach who demands the best from his players.
“Ime focuses a lot about defense, because obviously when he played that’s basically what he was, a defender, and he liked to be physical,” Nets guard Mike James said. “Just for me personally, he’s always reminded me to do the little things: sprint back, load up, box out, be physical.
“He’s not like a coach that’ll hold back how he feels. He’s going to tell you how he feels, how you’re playing, what you should be doing better. For somebody like me, obviously that might not be the same what everybody else is doing. But I like coaches to be honest and tell me what they want me to do and it works out.”
There’s more from Brooklyn:
- The Nets may have to replace two more members of Steve Nash‘s staff this summer, Lewis adds. Mike D’Antoni is a candidate for the Trail Blazers’ vacancy, while Jacque Vaughn has been given permission to interview with the Pelicans. “We have incredible coaches, and they all are really worthy of being head coaches, or already have been. … I’m assuming we will have turnover,” Nash said. “I’m assuming some of these guys will get jobs, because they’re that good and would really add a lot to an organization.”
- Brooklyn views Nicolas Claxton as its future starting center, according to Michael Scotto and Yossi Gozlan of Hoops Hype. Scotto states that the Nets weren’t willing to move Claxton at the trade deadline unless they got a star in return. He will be eligible for a veteran extension this summer worth up to a projected $55MM+.
- Kevin Durant‘s trip to the Olympics will reunite him with Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who will be an assistant on Gregg Popovich’s staff. Kerr raved about Durant during a radio interview this week, relays Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area, calling him more talented than Michael Jordan and saying his former team was supporting him during the Nets’ playoff run. “You think about what he did for this organization,” Kerr said, “not only helping us win titles but to come back and try to play through injuries and then suffer the devastating Achilles injury, we all just wanted to see Kevin healthy and to see him in the playoffs playing at the level he reached, it was really, really gratifying for all of us.”