Thunder Notes: Jalen Williams, Holmgren, SGA, Presti
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander carried the scoring load as expected for the Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, but Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren both suffered through off nights, combining for 23 points while shooting 8-of-28 from the field, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Williams saw his normal workload, but Holmgren was limited to 23 minutes as OKC coach Mark Daigneault went away from his two-big lineups.
At Saturday’s practice, Daigneault noted that Williams and Holmgren, who were both drafted in 2022, are young players who are being asked to produce on the league’s biggest stage.
“They have carved out huge roles on our team — they are a huge reason why we’re here,” he said. “They are in an uncommon position for third-year players. These are guys that are in their third year. Usually, delivering in the Finals is not on the curriculum for third-year players, you know, and they have thrust themselves into that situation, which is a credit to them.
“And now that they are here, they have to continue to do what they have done all the way through the playoffs, which is go out there, fully compete, learn the lessons, and apply it forward. And they have done a great job of that. I think you’ve seen that over the course of the playoffs. They haven’t always played their best game, but they always get themselves ready to play the next one.”
There’s more from Oklahoma City:
- In an interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Williams talks about his quick rise from a mid-major college team to NBA stardom. Williams reveals that he didn’t receive any Power 5 scholarship offers, so he opted for Santa Clara, where he gradually developed into an NBA prospect. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to appreciate everything that happened and I look back and believe that if it didn’t happen that way, I don’t think I would be in the position I was,” Williams said. “So, in a way, honestly, it just makes me feel kind of relieved and happy that was the way it went. I remember a lot of times I would work out because something went wrong or I didn’t get picked for something I thought I should get picked for. It made me go to the gym. It made me take it way more seriously.”
- With an MVP award already in his possession, Gilgeous-Alexander has a chance to join an elite list of players by winning an NBA championship, observes Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman. Lorenzi points out that Shaquille O’Neal, Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are the only players to capture a scoring title, MVP honors and Finals MVP in the same season.
- John Hollinger of The Athletic examines how general manager Sam Presti was able to build a second great team in Oklahoma City after his first one fell apart without winning a title.
Celtics Notes: Sale, Porzingis, Holiday, Hauser, White, Tatum
With the NBA’s Board of Governors set to vote on the Celtics sale later this month, there don’t appear to be any reasons that it would be rejected, writes Brian Robb of MassLive. New majority owner William Chisholm finalized the funding for the $6.1 billion purchase in May, with Robert Hale, Bruce A. Beal Jr. and Sixth Street among the other notable investors.
The group will take over a 51% stake of the team this summer, with the remainder of the purchase to be completed in 2028. Some concerns were raised about a two-stage deal after a similar arrangement in Minnesota had to be worked out in court, but commissioner Adam Silver didn’t raise any objections when asked about the purchase during his press conference Thursday before the start of the NBA Finals.
“I’d just say that the Boston Celtics deal I don’t think of as a staged deal,” Silver said. “They’re still in the process of completing it. It’s really more about a phase-out of current ownership. I think there Bill Chisholm, who is the incoming owner, he’s got to sort of straighten out some affairs in his life and his business. He’s currently located on the West Coast. I think he’s a huge admirer of (current majority owner) Wyc Grousbeck and the way he’s been running that team. Obviously their results speak for themselves.”
There’s more from Boston:
- Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and Sam Hauser are all likely to be traded this summer if management is determined to get below the tax threshold, Robb states in a mailbag column. With a $10MM salary next season, Hauser should be easy to move without taking back another player in return, Robb adds. That won’t be true for Porzingis ($30.7MM) or Holiday ($32.4MM), but Robb suggests that Boston can reduce the salaries it takes on by getting other teams involved.
- As the Celtics consider how to cut payroll this summer, Derrick White should be kept off the table in any trade talks, contends Chad Finn of The Boston Globe. Finn points out that White holds the franchise record for the most made three-pointers in a season, and he’s an elite shot blocker for a guard. He’s only 30 with a relatively affordable contract, and he can be part of the foundation to rebuild around when Jayson Tatum returns from his Achilles injury.
- Tatum offered an update today on his recovery from surgery, tweeting, “Day 25… days starting to get a little easier.”
Trail Blazers Adding Splitter, St. Andrews To Coaching Staff
Tiago Splitter and Patrick St. Andrews are joining the Trail Blazers‘ coaching staff as assistants to Chauncey Billups, multiple sources tell Danny Marang of 1080 The Fan in Portland (Twitter link). Splitter’s return to the NBA was first reported by international basketball writer Chema de Lucas (Twitter link).
After retiring as a player, Splitter began his coaching career in 2019, spending four seasons as an assistant with Brooklyn and one with Houston before being named head coach of Paris Basketball last summer. He also serves as an assistant with the Brazilian national team.
St. Andrews is a former assistant in Memphis who lost his job when Taylor Jenkins was fired in late March. St. Andrews became an assistant with Atlanta in 2017, then spent five years in Milwaukee before joining the Grizzlies. He was one of just two assistants who were retained when Jenkins’ coaching staff was revamped last summer.
Splitter and St. Andrews will reportedly be joining Kings G League coach Quinton Crawford, who was rumored last week to be an upcoming addition to Billups’ staff.
Pacers Notes: Haliburton, Hanlen, Siakam, Trade Deadline
If the Kings had been more patient, maybe Tyrese Haliburton would be nailing clutch shots while leading them on an inspiring run to the NBA Finals. Instead, he was sent to the Pacers in a blockbuster six-player deal at the 2022 trade deadline. As Sam Amick of The Athletic notes, the trade originally appeared to be a good move for both teams, but Haliburton’s emergence into stardom has made it more one-sided.
Sources tell Amick that Sacramento knew it couldn’t keep both Haliburton and fellow point guard De’Aaron Fox, but Fox’s trade value was at a low point in 2022. The front office explored deals involving Fox, who had recently signed a five-year, $160MM contract, but couldn’t find a worthwhile return.
Amick’s sources say the Kings had discussions with Indiana about both guards, but believed they could make a much better deal by parting with Haliburton. Rick Carlisle was in his first season as the Pacers’ head coach and was looking for a point guard he could trust to run his up-tempo offense.
“Our team was kind of at a crossroads,” general manager Chad Buchanan recalled. “We didn’t really have a guy, like a young player, that you could really build around. … So we tried to target some young guards, play-making guards around the league that we thought maybe fit the bill. They’re very hard to acquire, obviously. We felt like Tyrese, with the way Rick wanted to play, and how we want to build a team in the modern NBA — playing faster, playing a little more random. Tyrese was one of the ideal targets to try to build that type of system around. That’s what coach Carlisle values, and has developed his philosophy (around) over the years and where we’re at today. It was just a great fit from that standpoint.”
There’s more on the Pacers:
- A meeting with trainer Drew Hanlen shortly before the trade to Indiana changed Haliburton’s approach to the game, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. Hanlen challenged him to look for his own shot and stop deferring to teammates so much. “The big quote that we always say is, ‘Sometimes being too unselfish is actually being selfish,'” Hanlen said. “When he’s unselfish, it actually negatively impacts his teammates’ success and negatively impacts his team’s success. The more aggressive he is, the more his team wins.” Shelburne adds that Hanlen had been watching tape of Haliburton prior to their meeting because he was also working with Joel Embiid, and the Sixers were involved in discussions with the Kings on a deal that would have involved Haliburton and Ben Simmons.
- Pacers players are brimming with confidence after their improbable comeback in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, writes Jordan Davis of The Oklahoman. Indiana pulled out the victory despite committing 19 turnovers in the first half and trailing by double digits for much of the game. “We didn’t even play well,” Pascal Siakam said in an exchange with Haliburton as they walked to the locker room after the final buzzer (Twitter video link from ESPN).
- The Pacers chose to stand pat at the trade deadline because they believed in the roster they had assembled, per Fred Katz of The Athletic. Even though there are looming financial issues for 2025/26 and three Eastern Conference teams appeared to be clearly ahead of them, Indiana’s front office didn’t search the market for a deal to cut salary or drastically change the roster.
Stein’s Latest: Kidd, Flagg, Beal, Booker, More
The Mavericks will likely deny permission for the Knicks to talk to Jason Kidd about their head coaching vacancy if a formal request is made, Marc Stein states in his latest Substack column (subscription required). Stein cites “well-placed observers” who believe Dallas would turn down the request to interview Kidd, just as the Rockets have communicated that they would do if New York asks to speak with Ime Udoka.
Stein points out that Kidd received an extension after the first round of the playoffs in May of 2024 when rumors began circulating that the Lakers were targeting him in their search for a head coach. Kidd took the Mavs to the NBA Finals after that extension was finalized and led them to the play-in tournament this year while dealing with the fallout from the Luka Doncic trade and a late-season roster shortage.
Stein writes that many people in the league are confounded that the top targets who have emerged since Tom Thibodeau was fired are coaches who are already employed — Kidd, Udoka and Minnesota’s Chris Finch. He notes that several prominent coaches are currently free agents, citing Michael Malone, Taylor Jenkins, Mike Brown, Mike Budenholzer and Frank Vogel as examples.
Stein provides a list of coaches who have been involved in trades, noting that it has happened five times since 1982.
Stein offers more information from around the NBA:
- Cooper Flagg will visit Dallas prior to the June 25 draft, Stein has learned. There’s no drama regarding who the Mavericks will take with the No. 1 pick, but the visit will give Flagg a chance to become familiar with the coaching staff and team executives before it becomes official.
- A buyout may not be a realistic option for the Suns if they can’t work out a trade involving Bradley Beal. According to Stein, Phoenix is limited to a buyout offer of about $80MM, which is far short of the nearly $111MM Beal has left on his contract. The fact that the interview process for coaches included questions about how they plan to incorporate Beal is a sign that the Suns understand that he’ll be hard to move, Stein observes.
- Stein expects Devin Booker to receive a two-year, $150MM extension once he becomes eligible on July 6, noting that he played a prominent role in the search for a new head coach.
- Stein hears that Bucks guard Pat Connaughton is likely to pick up his $9.4MM player option for next season. A decision is expected soon, although the deadline isn’t until June 24.
- Former Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin has interviewed with the Grizzlies for a spot on Tuomas Iisalo‘s coaching staff, sources tell Stein.
Zach Edey To Have Ankle Surgery, May Miss Start Of Next Season
Zach Edey will undergo surgery after re-spraining his left ankle during a workout this week, the Grizzlies announced (via Twitter). Medical imaging on the ankle revealed “excessive ligamentous laxity,” the team stated, and the procedure will “address the laxity and re-stabilize his ankle.”
The Grizzlies said a recovery timeline won’t be set until after the surgery is complete, but Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link) reports that Edey will likely miss the beginning of next season.
“After consulting with the Grizzlies and multiple specialists, we decided this is the best approach for Zach long-term as it gets him back to 100% with no limitations,” Edey’s agent, Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports, told Charania (Twitter link). “He will make a full recovery and be back better than ever.”
Edey turned in a strong rookie season after being selected with the ninth pick in last year’s draft. He started 55 of the 66 games he played while averaging 9.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 21.5 minutes per night and posting .580/.346/.709 shooting numbers.
Edey was a first-team All-Rookie selection and finished fifth in the Rookie of the Year balloting.
Damichael Cole of The Commercial Appeal points out that Edey dealt with left ankle issues throughout the season. He first injured the ankle during Summer League action and later suffered another ankle injury that sidelined him for 12 games.
His injury could cause the Grizzlies to be in the market for frontcourt depth this summer. They own the 48th and 56th picks in the upcoming draft.
Chris Paul To Put Family First In Career Decisions
Appearing Thursday on The Pat McAfee Show (Twitter video link), Chris Paul stated that family concerns will shape the remainder of his NBA career. They will factor into how much longer the 40-year-old guard wants to continue playing as well as where he might sign this offseason.
“It’s with my family more than anything,” Paul said. “My son just turned 16. My daughter is 12. The past six seasons, I’ve lived without them. I go to San Antonio, Phoenix, Golden State — they were in Houston with me — Oklahoma City… I’ve been around a few teams, but I’ve been away from them the last six years. It’s a little different. That’s the conversation.”
Paul will be back on the free agent market after signing a one-year deal with the Spurs last summer. Brought in to help mentor Victor Wembanyama and San Antonio’s other young players, Paul proved he can still be productive on the court. He appeared in all 82 games, averaging 8.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists in 28 minutes per night with .427/.377/.924 shooting numbers.
A return to the Spurs might be unlikely considering they traded for De’Aaron Fox in February and appear ready to select Dylan Harper with the No. 2 pick in the draft. If Paul moves on, he figures to get plenty of interest from playoff contenders who are looking for a strong floor leader.
Paul’s family lives in Los Angeles, so a return to the Clippers could be in the cards. He spent six years with the organization, earning All-NBA honors five times and making it one of the NBA’s most exciting teams. Paul could also ponder teaming up with long-time friend LeBron James on the Lakers.
Paul didn’t sound ready for retirement in the interview with McAfee, as he said his body still feels good. Most likely, it will be a year-by-year decision to see how much longer he wants to keep playing.
“Well, I don’t think I want to play for a while,” Paul said. “I’m being honest with you — I want to be Dad. I still love to play. I was up in the gym at 6 am this morning. Yesterday, I was in the gym. Day before, I was in the gym. It’s crazy. You know, my daughter actually hoops now, so before I flew out here, I was in the gym with her for 20 minutes. With kids, sometimes you gotta do short sessions, so I was in 20 minutes doing ball handling with her, and it was priceless. You don’t get that time back.”
Paul also talked about projected No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, whom he’s worked out with in advance of the June 25 draft, according to Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (subscription required). Paul was on a group chat with other San Antonio players during the lottery, and there was a lot of excitement as the Mavericks and Spurs had the final two envelopes.
“I’m in L.A. right now, and Cooper Flagg has been out there,” Paul said. “I’ve been in the gym with him a couple times and whatnot. He’s as real as advertised.”
Marc Stein previously identified Dallas as a possible landing spot for Paul, since the Mavs will be looking for backcourt help while Kyrie Irving recovers from his ACL tear.
Commissioner Says NBA Expansion Isn’t ‘Automatic’
NBA commissioner Adam Silver indicated Thursday that expansion may not be as much of a priority for the league as some fans are hoping, according to Joe Vardon and Sam Amick of The Athletic. Speaking at his annual news conference before the start of the NBA Finals, Silver said he doesn’t think it’s “automatic” that the league will decide to add more teams.
Silver has stated in the past that expansion would become more of a front-burner issue once the new collective bargaining agreement was in place and new media rights deals had been worked out. Both those things have happened, but the league hasn’t taken any action to expand.
Silver added that he expects the Board of Governors to direct the commissioner’s office this summer to “continue to explore” the possibility of adding teams. That action could involve meetings with prospective ownership groups, but Silver cautioned that there are concerns among the current owners about bringing in more partners to divide up revenues.
“It depends on your perspective on the future of the league,” Silver said. “You know, as I said before, expansion in a way is selling equity in the league, and if you believe in the league, you don’t necessarily want to add partners. On the other hand, we recognize there are underserved markets in the United States and elsewhere, markets that deserve to have NBA teams — probably even if we were to expand, more than we can serve.”
Fans in Seattle have been counting on a return of the SuperSonics, who left for Oklahoma City in 2008. Las Vegas has also been heavily rumored as a leading candidate for the next round of expansion.
Silver has been concentrating lately on creating a new NBA European league, and he framed that during Thursday’s presser as a type of expansion.
There’s more from Silver’s media session:
- The commissioner confirmed that changes are in the works to the All-Star Game, but it won’t be a straight U.S. vs. the World format, per Vardon and Amick. Silver noted that NBC plans to air the game on a Sunday afternoon amid its Winter Olympics coverage, which he expects to boost fan interest. However, he expressed doubt that matching a team of American players against a team of international players is workable.
- Despite concerns about television ratings, Silver said the league is embracing the small-market matchup between the Pacers and Thunder, the authors add. “We set out to create a system that allowed for more competition around the league,” Silver told reporters. “The goal being to have 30 teams all in a position, if well-managed, to be competing for championships. And that’s what we’re seeing here.”
- Playoff injuries to stars such as Jayson Tatum and Stephen Curry have led to calls for a shorter regular season, but Silver doesn’t believe that’s necessary, Vardon and Amick relay. The commissioner points out that there are longer breaks between playoff games than there used to be, and he said this season’s injury rate is the second-lowest in the past decade. “Money is part of it, there’s no question about it — we’re a business,” Silver said. “But having said that, I don’t really see the benefit to reducing the number of games. People used to say you should reduce the number of games because it will lead to reduction in the number of injuries. There’s absolutely no data to suggest that.”
Pacers Notes: Nesmith, Haliburton, Bradley, Walker
Aaron Nesmith went to the NBA Finals in 2022, but in a much smaller role than he’ll have this year, writes Souichi Terada of MassLive. Nesmith was in his second NBA season when Boston faced Golden State three years ago, and he mostly made limited appearances in the playoffs. His career didn’t take off until he was traded to Indiana shortly after that series ended.
Speaking at Finals media day on Wednesday, Nesmith said the Pacers got a lesson in how to handle an extended playoff run after being ousted in the conference finals last season.
“We just learned how hard it is to get here and not taking being in this position for granted,” he said. “Understanding most guys don’t play this long into the season, into the year. Just having our bodies right, our legs underneath us. I think it’s very helpful.”
Nesmith played a huge role in helping Indiana reach the Finals for the first time in 25 years. He’s averaging 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 16 playoff games while shooting 50% from three-point range. He was the hero of the Game 1 victory against New York, scoring 20 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter.
Nesmith acknowledges that his team is a huge underdog against Oklahoma City, but he believes the key to an upset will be dictating the style of play.
“Continue to play Pacers basketball,” he said. “That’s what got us here. I think that’s what’s going to help us succeed in the Finals. That’s what we’re going to have to do.”
There’s more on the Pacers:
- Tyrese Haliburton gets inspired when he hears people dismiss his team, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. The Pacers weren’t favored to beat Cleveland or New York, but have compiled a 12-4 record in the playoffs, the same as the Thunder. “I’ll continue to tell you guys in certain moments that it doesn’t matter what people say, but it matters — and I enjoy it,” Haliburton said. “I think the greats try to find external motivation as much as they can and that’s something that’s always worked for me.”
- Haliburton shared details of the team’s flight to Oklahoma City, which had to be diverted due to weather and wound up arriving more than three hours late, per Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (subscription required). “We took off, and I slept the whole plane ride, which I don’t normally do,” Haliburton said. “We landed, I was ready to get up. They said we were in Tulsa. We sat there for another hour. Then took off again. Felt like we were in the air for another hour and a half. … So, like a five-hour travel day. We might as well travel to Portland.”
- Backup center Tony Bradley has some familiarity with his Finals opponent after being sent to Oklahoma City as part of a three-team deal at the 2021 trade deadline. Bradley, who appeared in 22 games during his time with the Thunder, told Clemente Almanza of OKC Thunder Wire that he enjoyed watching Shai Gilgeous-Alexander develop into a star. “Honestly, he’s the same player. When I was here, he was just getting more recognition,” Bradley said. “Of course, he’s improved since I’ve been with him, but I’ve seen the potential was there.”
- As expected, Jarace Walker isn’t available for Game 1 of the NBA Finals after spraining his right ankle in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Bradley, who has been dealing with a left hip flexor strain, is active.
Thunder Change Starting Lineup For NBA Finals Opener
The Thunder are unveiling a different starting lineup as the NBA Finals get underway tonight, according to OKC beat writer Rylan Stiles. Coach Mark Daigneault is opting for a smaller look, with second-year guard Cason Wallace replacing center Isaiah Hartenstein.
Wallace, a defensive standout, will give Oklahoma City one more weapon to slow the speedy Pacers, who like to wear down opponents by pushing the ball up court throughout the game. Wallace is better equipped than Hartenstein to handle that style of play.
Hartenstein had been a starter for the Thunder in the first 16 games of this year’s playoffs, averaging 9.2 points and 7.9 rebounds in 23.9 minutes per night. He was signed as a free agent last summer to give OKC a larger presence inside and prevent the team from being badly outrebounded like it was against Dallas in last year’s playoffs.
Stiles notes that Daigneault has been relying on a double-big starting lineup with Chet Holmgren alongside Hartenstein. However, he moved away from it quickly in the conference finals against Minnesota, replacing Hartenstein early in games with either Wallace or Alex Caruso.
As Law Murray of The Athletic tweets, the Pacers got off to fast starts against the Thunder in their two regular season meetings and outscored OKC while Hartenstein was on the floor.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Luguentz Dort will join Wallace and Holmgren in the starting lineup.