Jason Kidd Won’t Seek Trail Blazers’ Coaching Job
Jason Kidd has decided not to be a candidate for the Trail Blazers’ vacant head coaching job, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
“Portland’s a first-class organization and will have great candidates for its head coaching job, but I’ve decided not to be one of them,” Kidd said. “Whoever they choose will have big shoes to fill from Terry (Stotts).”
According to Wojnarowski, Kidd became uncomfortable with seeking the Trail Blazers’ job after star guard Damian Lillard said Friday that Kidd was his top choice. Kidd was concerned that Lillard’s public comment would put the team in an awkward position if he interviewed for the post.
“Jason Kidd is the guy I want,” Lillard said after news broke that Stotts won’t be returning next season.
Kidd, a former head coach with the Nets and Bucks, has been the top assistant to Frank Vogel with the Lakers for the past two seasons.
Sources tell Wojnarowski that the Blazers haven’t talked to any potential candidates yet or reached out for permission to interview anybody, but that process should begin once the last first-round series wraps up today.
Portland is expected to consider Clippers assistant Chauncey Billups, former Knicks and Rockets head coach Jeff Van Gundy and Michigan coach Juwan Howard, sources tell ESPN.
Lakers Notes: Pelinka, Schröder, Centers, Kidd
When a defending champion gets knocked out in the first round of the playoffs, it usually means changes are coming, but Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka hopes to keep the core of this year’s team intact, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Injuries played a large role in L.A.’s downfall this season, with LeBron James and Anthony Davis both missing long stretches and being less than 100% for the playoffs.
The Lakers will have eight free agents this summer and possibly nine if Montrezl Harrell turns down a $9.7MM player option. Pelinka indicated that he will try to re-sign most of those players and said the front office is committed to paying the luxury tax to keep the team in title contention.
“I’m convinced that, again, without some of the unforeseen circumstances this year, the challenges that we had to face, that we’d be a championship-caliber team,” he said. “So the goal is to try to keep that core group together.”
There’s more on the Lakers:
- At Friday’s exit interviews, Dennis Schröder made it clear that his decision to turn down an $84MM extension during the season wasn’t in retaliation for being part of trade talks involving Kyle Lowry, McMenamin adds. Schröder has expressed a desire to return to the Lakers, but he will see what offers are available in free agency. “I didn’t decline the extension because I was in trade talks,” he said. “I own a (basketball) team in Germany as well. I try to run my organization in Germany as fair as possible, but end of the day, it’s still business. … That’s what Rob did as well. He told me the story. He listened to it. It wasn’t even right by the trade deadline, but he talked to them to see. … I would listen to offers as well. … You don’t know what you can get, and you see what your options are.”
- Finding a dependable center should be the focus of the Lakers’ offseason, states Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. They installed Andre Drummond as their starter after signing him in March, but he wasn’t used in Thursday’s close-out game. Marc Gasol signed a two-year contract during the offseason, but his role diminished significantly after Drummond was added.
- With three NBA head coaching jobs now open, Frank Vogel said he believes Jason Kidd deserves another shot, according to Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. The Lakers’ assistant is Damian Lillard‘s first choice to take over the Trail Blazers and may be a candidate for other teams. “Jason has become one of my closest friends, you know, really a trusted advisor on my coaching staff and someone that has just been integral to our success in the last two years,” Vogel said. “He should be at the top of everybody’s list that has an opening in the NBA.”
Trail Blazers Notes: Lillard, McCollum, Stotts
Damian Lillard will wait to see what the Trail Blazers do during the offseason before making a decision on his future, a person close to the star guard told Jabari Young of CNBC. Lillard has stated repeatedly that he wants to stay in Portland and help the franchise win a title, but that could change if he’s not convinced that the Blazers are moving in that direction. The team’s willingness to pay the luxury tax could figure into the decision, Young adds.
Lillard is under contract for the next three seasons and Portland has no plans to trade him, but he could change the situation by requesting a deal. He is coming off the best playoff series of his career, averaging 34.5 PPG in the six-game loss to the Nuggets. It marked the fourth time in five years that Portland was eliminated in the first round, and Lillard could be pondering a move to a more legitimate title contender.
The Blazers began what could be an offseason of change Friday night when they announced that coach Terry Stotts won’t return next season. Lillard quickly made a statement about his coaching preferences, with Jason Kidd and Chauncey Billups topping the list.
Another factor will be what Portland’s management decides to do with the roster, and especially Lillard’s backcourt partner, CJ McCollum. Young notes that the Cavaliers have been mentioned as a possible destination for McCollum and the Spurs have considered him as well, although they aren’t currently considering an offer.
Young cites a Western Conference executive who believes the Clippers may try to move Paul George if they don’t make a long playoff run, adding that a deal involving McCollum and George is conceivable. The Heat could also be a destination, though they might prefer to target Lillard.
There’s more from Portland:
- The Blazers will replace their coach, but general manager Neil Olshey’s job appears to be safe, Young adds. Ownership sees him as a “solid executive” who has done as much as possible within budget limitations to build a competitive team around Lillard.
- Several teams around the league, including many in “top markets,” are keeping an eye on Portland to see if Lillard might become available, sources tell Shams Charania and Jason Quick of The Athletic.
- Stotts wrote a farewell letter thanking the organization, players and fans for his experiences during the past nine years as head coach.
Nets Notes: Harden, Griffin, T. Johnson
Even though they recovered to beat the Bucks in the first game of their playoff series, the Nets were shocked and disappointed by the hamstring injury that sidelined James Harden in the first minute Saturday night, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Harden felt pain in his hamstring on a drive to the basket and left the game for an MRI. The results of that test will determine his availability for the rest of the series.
“You never want to see that for someone like James, who is such an important player and such an incredible player and cares so much,” coach Steve Nash said. “I’m heartbroken for him. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know if he’s playing the next game, if he’s out. I have no idea. But I’m heartbroken for him that he had to miss tonight.”
Harden missed more than 20 games late in the season with a strain of the same hamstring. He was able to return during the final week and played all five games of the first-round series against the Celtics without any issues. The Nets have a quick turnaround for Monday’s Game 2 and they’re awaiting word on when Harden will be able to play again.
“I know how much he cares. I know how much he wants to be in this moment,” Kevin Durant said. “… Wishing him a speedy recovery. Keep him involved as much as possible. It’s just a bad break.”
There’s more from Brooklyn:
- The Nets won’t risk a long-term injury to Harden by trying to play him before he’s fully recovered, sources tell Jordan Schultz of ESPN (Twitter link). Schultz adds that it’s a sensitive issue right now after the Lakers permitted Anthony Davis to play in their final game despite a groin injury.
- Blake Griffin helped the Nets survive the loss of Harden by posting 18 points and 14 rebounds for his best rebounding performance and second double-double since joining the Nets, notes Ryan Dunleavy of The New York Post. He’s happy to be part of the playoffs after being benched in Detroit before a buyout in March. “For two years, I didn’t hear much positivity,” Griffin said. “Probably rightfully so. But it’s pretty crazy how quickly it happens, so I’m just thankful for this opportunity.”
- Jonathan Lehman of The New York Post looks at the path Tyler Johnson traveled to get to Brooklyn after getting a massive offer from the organization as a restricted free agent in 2016. The Heat matched that offer, but Johnson eventually became a salary dump in Phoenix before joining the Nets last summer in advance of the restart.
Community Shootaround: Best Coaching Vacancy
After a slow start to this year’s coaching carousel, three jobs have opened up over the past four days.
News broke Wednesday morning that Danny Ainge was stepping down as president of basketball operations for the Celtics and Brad Stevens had been selected to replace him. On Friday night, the Trail Blazers announced that Terry Stotts won’t return next year, and the Magic parted ways with Steve Clifford earlier today.
Decisions still have to be made about Scott Brooks in Washington and Nate Bjorkgren in Indiana, but for now the coaching rumors are focused on Boston, Portland and Orlando. All three jobs have some advantages as potential candidates consider their options.
The Celtics have two young foundation pieces in place with 23-year-old Jayson Tatum and 24-year-old Jaylen Brown both signed to long-term deals. Boston may try to trade Kemba Walker this summer, and a decision has to be made on free agent guard Evan Fournier. The team could also use an upgrade at center and a stronger bench, but Tatum and Brown should be enough to guarantee a playoff spot every year.
The Trail Blazers also have a solid foundation if they choose to keep it together. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum are both under contract for the next three seasons, while Jusuf Nurkic has a partially guaranteed deal for next year. Norman Powell ($11.6MM) and Derrick Jones Jr. ($9.72MM) both have player options this summer and could be back even if they choose free agency. Portland has been to the playoffs in eight consecutive seasons, but has been knocked out in the first round four times in the past five years.
The Magic don’t have any stars in place, but they have a lot of young talent to build around. Jonathan Isaac, who is under contract through 2024/25, could develop into a franchise player if he can avoid injuries. He missed the entire season after tearing his ACL last August. Orlando is loaded with players 23 and under, including former No. 1 draft pick Markelle Fultz and recent first-round selections Cole Anthony, Chuma Okeke and Mohamed Bamba. The Magic unloaded most of their veteran talent at the trade deadline, but the future could be bright for a coach who’s willing to rebuild.
We want to get your input. Which of these situations offers the best opportunity for a new head coach? Please leave your answers in the comments section.
Knicks Notes: Lillard, Rose, Free Agents, Vildoza
The Knicks should be at the front of the line if the Trail Blazers decide to trade Damian Lillard, contends Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post. Lillard is one of the most popular Portland players ever and has been a fixture in the city since he was drafted in 2012. But he will turn 31 in July and could bring a huge collection of assets in return if the Blazers opt to rebuild.
Lillard is owed more than $127MM over the next three seasons and has a $48.8MM player option for 2024/25. He would provide an instant solution to New York’s long-running point guard problem and would bring some star power to the franchise. He’s still as explosive as ever as a scorer, averaging 28.8 points per game this season and shooting 39.1% from three-point range.
The Knicks have the assets to make a deal work, including five first-round picks over the next three years, Vaccaro adds. They also have young talent to offer, such as rookies Obi Toppin and Immanuel Quickley, second-year guard RJ Barrett and third-year center Mitchell Robinson.
There’s more from New York:
- If Lillard isn’t available, the Knicks will pursue other options to upgrade their backcourt this summer, and Ian Begley of SNY.TV hears that Derrick Rose‘s performance after being acquired from the Pistons will affect their strategy. If they can re-sign Rose, the Knicks will be less likely to spend big on another veteran point guard and may turn to restricted free agents such as Devonte’ Graham, Lonzo Ball or Kendrick Nunn. New York talked to the Pelicans about a possible Ball trade before the March deadline, but there’s not a consensus on him among the front office, according to Begley.
- With their playoff run over, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau met with newly signed guard Luca Vildoza on Thursday and watched him in a workout, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Former Knicks guard and current Timberwolves assistant coach Pablo Prigioni believes his fellow Argentinian has a bright NBA future. “(Vildoza is) really, really good,’’ Prigioni said. “I really like him. Very talented, got a great shot and knows how to pass. I’m really excited to see Luca next season with the Knicks. Tom’s going to like him.’’
- Thibodeau held a long meeting with his players on Thursday and decided to delay the traditional player evaluation conferences for about two weeks, Berman adds in a separate story. A source said Berman wants his players to unwind from the stress that COVID-19 brought to the season.
James Harden Injures Hamstring, Won’t Return In Game 1
Nets star James Harden suffered a right hamstring injury early in tonight’s opener of the Eastern Conference semifinals and has been ruled out for the rest of the game, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.
On the TNT telecast, Jared Greenberg reported that Harden has left Barclays Center to have an MRI on the hamstring, relays Ian Begley of SNY.TV (Twitter link).
Harden got hurt on his first drive to the basket, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. He passed the ball to Joe Harris in the corner, then grabbed at his right leg in pain. He slowly walked to the locker room as Brooklyn coach Steve Nash called timeout 43 seconds into the game.
Injuries have been an issue for the Nets’ Big Three, who played together just a handful of times in the regular season after Harden was acquired from the Rockets in mid-January. Harden played a career-low 44 games this season, missing more than a month of action in April and May with a strained right hamstring.
Nets Notes: Harden, Brown, Green, Kidd
James Harden played in 128 postseason games during his time with the Thunder and Rockets, but he sees this year’s Nets team as his best chance to win an NBA title, writes Adam Zagoria of Forbes.
Harden is a former MVP and a nine-time All-Star, but he has developed a reputation for coming up short in the playoffs. Many of his losses came against loaded teams like the Warriors and Lakers, but now he’s part of an immensely talented team in Brooklyn.
“Obviously, there’s only a handful of teams that have an opportunity,” Harden said. “And we’re one of those teams this year. So the excitement is there, but I think just the focus is the most important thing for myself. And just trying to rub that focus level and that engagement to detail into every one of my teammates.”
There’s more on the Nets:
- Bruce Brown is ready for the challenge of trying to slow down the Bucks, who were the NBA’s top scoring team during the regular season, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. The defensive specialist will match up with Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton during the series and may be called on to help with Giannis Antetokounmpo.“It’s three-level scorers that can do a little bit of everything, get everybody involved. No team’s been better offensively this year, so really we’re just trying to be physical with them and try to limit their game,” Brown said. “We know what Giannis can do, we know what they can do, so try to be physical and try to limit their opportunities and make it tough.”
- Jeff Green has been ruled out for tonight’s Game 1 with a left plantar fascia strain, but the Nets are hoping he’ll be available later in the series, Lewis adds in a separate story. Coach Steve Nash said the team considers Green day-to-day. “Just gonna continue to monitor it and then over the course of the next two, three days, hopefully get a clearer picture,” Nash said. “He’s working out. … I shouldn’t comment on that because in case I get it wrong, but I definitely see him with our strength and conditioning team and performance team, doing his thing.”
- With Jason Kidd being considered for head coaching jobs in Portland and possibly Boston, Howie Kussoy of The New York Post looks at what went wrong during his time in charge of the Nets and Bucks and how both franchises became successful after he left.
Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Simmons, Celtics, Lowry
Joel Embiid has been listed as questionable for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The Sixers center will undergo further treatment and workouts before his status is determined for the Sunday afternoon game, Charania adds.
Embiid hasn’t played since suffering a small meniscus tear in his right knee on Monday. He is considered day to day, and his availability will depend on how the knee responds.
Embiid was limited to individual workouts during practices today and Friday, according to Ky Carlin of USA Today’s Sixers Wire. Embiid didn’t join his teammates for any live-ball activities at either session.
“The same,” coach Doc Rivers said when asked for an update on Embiid’s condition. “He did a little bit on the floor, no live, I can say that today. Just he did what he could do.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The uncertainty surrounding Embiid gives Ben Simmons a chance to cement his legacy with the Sixers, writes Marcus Hayes of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Simmons helped close out the Wizards with a triple-double in Game 5, but the Hawks should be a more difficult challenge. Hayes points out that Rivers and first-year president of basketball operations Daryl Morey inherited Simmons from the previous regime and may not hesitate to move on from him if they don’t believe he can help them win a title.
- Celtics assistant Scott Morrison will interview for the team’s head coaching vacancy, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The 43-year-old Morrison earned G League Coach of the Year honors in 2015 with the Maine Red Claws and has been part of Brad Stevens’ staff since 2017. Fellow Boston assistant Jerome Allen, who has also been confirmed for an interview with the Celtics, will interview for the Trail Blazers’ head coaching spot as well, tweets Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe.
- The Raptors will have plenty of competition for Kyle Lowry in free agency this summer, with the Lakers, Heat, Knicks and Sixers all expected to pursue him, writes Dave Feschuk of The Toronto Star. He notes that Lowry said, “Money talks, and years talk” in his postseason press conference, indicating the veteran point guard will be looking for a multiyear offer.
Nuggets Notes: Jokic, Morris, Porter, Barton, Dozier
In an interview with Serbian television that aired this week, Nuggets center Nikola Jokic expressed a desire to spend his entire career in Denver (Twitter link). The interview was filmed before the start of the season, but Jokic’s connection to the city and the team have likely gotten stronger in the wake of his MVP-caliber season.
Jokic has two more years on his current contract, paying him $31.58MM next season and $33.62MM in 2022/23. He will be 28 when he reaches free agency, and the Nuggets will almost certainly make a max extension offer before then, especially with Jamal Murray having the only significant salary beyond those years.
“When I came to Denver I said that I would love to be Denver’s Tim Duncan, because he played his whole career in San Antonio,” Jokic told RTS. “God willing, I would love to play my whole career in Denver.”
There’s more on the Nuggets:
- Damian Lillard is putting up historic numbers, but the Nuggets hold the lead in their series with the Trail Blazers because Austin Rivers and Monte Morris have been able to neutralize CJ McCollum, writes Sean Keeler of The Denver Post. Morris, who got a three-year, $27MM extension in December after starting his career as a two-way player, said he has come a long way since his first postseason experience in 2019.“I had nightmares before every playoff game, my first playoffs,” he said. “That’s why I bust my (backside) and work hard, whether I’m here or off the Ball Arena premises. Just because I don’t ever want that feeling again. It was a hard feeling. A hard pill to swallow.”
- With Murray unavailable for the playoffs, Denver needs more production from Michael Porter Jr., and he able to deliver in Game 5, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post. Using his size advantage over the Portland wings, Porter shook off two sub-par games and posted 26 points and 12 rebounds in the double-overtime victory. “Michael’s way too talented of a player to have two games like that, back-to-back,” coach Michael Malone said. “I just told him how proud I was of him, and he goes, ‘Hey coach, I gotta do that every night.’ And he’s right, he does. And he understands that.”
- Will Barton and PJ Dozier will both miss Thursday’s Game 6, Singer tweets. Barton is dealing with a strained right hamstring and hasn’t played since April 23. Dozier is sidelined with a right adductor strain.