Grizzlies Interview Jarron Collins For Head Coaching Vacancy
Warriors assistant Jarron Collins is the latest candidate to interview for the vacant head coaching job in Memphis, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.
He is only the second known person to interview for the position, following Jazz assistant Alex Jensen, who met with team officials last week in Memphis. The Grizzlies are also reportedly interested in Lithuania’s Sarunas Jasikevicius, currently the head coach of Zalgiris Kaunas. Memphis has been moving deliberately with its coaching search since dismissing J.B. Bickerstaff after the season ended.
Collins, 40, has been with Golden State for the past five years. He started as a player development coach in 2014/15, then was promoted to assistant coach a year later. Collins spent 10 years as a player with the Jazz, Suns, Clippers and Trail Blazers before retiring at the end of the 2010/11 season.
Keep up to date with all the latest coaching moves with our Head Coaching Search Tracker.
Bucks Notes: Brogdon, Hill, Horst
Malcolm Brogdon won’t be available for tomorrow’s Game 4, but he continues to make progress and could return soon, tweets Malika Andrews of ESPN. Brogdon hasn’t played since March 15 because of plantar fasciitis in his right foot, but coach Mike Budenholzer said today that his condition is improving.
“I think he’s getting close,” Budenholzer said, adding that Brogdon has been able to participate in five-on-five games three times. The former Rookie of the Year was an important contributor for Milwaukee this season, putting up a 50/40/90 shooting line before the injury.
There’s more Bucks news to pass along:
- Brogdon’s history of foot issues could impact his value as a restricted free agent this summer, writes Gery Woelfel of Woelfel’sPressBox. He slipped down some teams’ draft boards in 2016 after having surgery on his left foot at Virginia, enabling the Bucks to grab him with the 36th pick. Brogdon played just 48 games last season and 64 this year, leaving many rival front offices eager to see how he would perform in the postseason. “I’ll be honest with you; we’re still concerned about his foot problem like we did when he came out in the draft,’’ an unidentified NBA executive told Woelfel. “I want to see how he does in the playoffs. I think he needs to play in the playoffs to show teams he’s fine. That’s going to tell what kind of deal he gets this summer.’’ He estimated that Brogdon could get an offer starting between $14MM and $16MM per season if teams believe he can stay healthy.
- George Hill is providing a veteran presence in his first playoffs with the Bucks, observes Matt Velazquez of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The Bucks had a financial incentive when they made a deal with Cleveland in December to acquire Hill, who has just a $1MM guarantee for next season. But they also welcomed the postseason experience that he brought to the backcourt. “He’s been a vet in this league,” said teammate Eric Bledsoe. “He knows what it takes. He’s been to the championship; he’s been to the Eastern Conference Finals. It’s no surprise what he’s doing.”
- GM Jon Horst set the groundwork for turning the Bucks into a contender after being hired as the youngest general manager in the league in 2017, writes Lori Nickel of The Journal Sentinel.
Weekly Mailbag: 4/28/19 – 5/5/19
We have an opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap or the NBA draft? Drop us a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com.
If the Lakers hire Tyronn Lue as head coach, is it the right hire or just not putting in the effort and going with the easy hire? Or maybe both? — NoSpoilersPlease, via Twitter
It’s not easy for a coach to build a rapport with LeBron James, and Lue will have that from the minute he takes over the team. They had a very successful partnership in Cleveland that resulted in a championship and three trips to the NBA Finals. Lue also has a history in L.A., spending his first three years as a player with the Lakers. He may not be the right long-term coach for the franchise, but as long as LeBron is there — at least for the next two or three years — it’s best to have someone running the team that he trusts.
If the Knicks don’t get the first pick, what could they get for pick 2, 3, 4 or 5? – Howie2104
Whether the Knicks want to trade their pick — and what they’ll ask in return — will depend on their luck in free agency, and that won’t be known until early July. If they can’t hit the jackpot with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving or some other combination of stars, it make more sense to hold onto the pick and continue building for the future. While Zion Williamson is obviously the biggest prize in the draft, Ja Morant could solve New York’s long-running point guard problem, and R.J. Barrett would provide another scoring wing player to pair with Kevin Knox. If the Knicks do get lucky in free agency, their need for youth goes away and they’ll start looking for a combination of veterans who fit well with their new stars.
What are the chances that the Sixers replace Brett Brown if they don’t reach the conference finals? –R.B., via Twitter
Brown received an extension after last season ended and is under contract through 2021/22, so he shouldn’t be in any immediate danger. He suffered through a lot of lean years in Philadelphia as the Sixers tanked tanked away seasons to accumulate assets and he has done a much better job than his 178-314 record indicates. Management wanted to give Brown a chance to show what he could do with a real team, and that chance is just starting. Brown has built up a lot of trust in his six years behind the Sixers’ bench. He should be safe no matter how long their playoff run lasts.
Cousins, Jones Could Return For Warriors
Centers DeMarcus Cousins and Damian Jones may be available later in the playoffs if the Warriors keep winning, tweets Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Coach Steve Kerr offered health updates on both players today, saying they are making progress and Jones could be cleared for contact next week.
Cousins was feared to be lost for the season after suffering a torn left quad in Game 2 of the first-round series against the Clippers. He was ruled out indefinitely, although there was some hope that he could return if he responded well to treatment.
Jones, who is already able to participate in three-on-three drills, hasn’t played since undergoing surgery for a torn left pectoral muscle in December. He began the season as the Warriors’ starting center, but appeared in just 24 games before the injury.
Golden State would welcome some help at center after being decisively out-rebounded in Game 3 against the Rockets. The Warriors have been getting by with Kevon Looney and Andrew Bogut in the middle, but have mainly been using a small lineup with no true center on the court.
Texas Notes: Spurs, Milutinov, Walker, Bzdelik
Barring any surprises, the Spurs‘ starting five for next season appears set, writes Jeff McDonald of The Athletic. Dejounte Murray, returning from a torn right ACL, should take over at point guard, with Derrick White joining him in the backcourt. DeMar DeRozan will move to forward, alongside LaMarcus Aldridge and Jakob Poeltl, who impressed the coaching staff after a midseason move into the starting lineup.
That means, if he returns, Rudy Gay will continue in a bench role, along with Bryn Forbes, who started much of this season. Coach Gregg Popovich wants DeRozan to become more proficient from 3-point territory to make up for not having Forbes as a starter.
“That’s what the league is all about now,” Popovich said. “End of the game, the first thing that you look at is 3-point shooting, and it covers up a whole lot of warts. You can get beat on the boards — I mean, in one of the games that we beat Denver, they had 28 second-chance points, but they shot horribly, and we shot very well. Game over. It’s not very interesting. It’s not much fun. But that’s the way the league is.”
There’s more NBA news from Texas:
- The Spurs may be ready to add draft-and-stash project Nikola Milutinov to their roster, McDonald adds. The 26th pick in 2015, Milutinov has been playing for Olympiacos B.C. of the Greek Basketball League, where he averaged 10.7 PPG and 6.8 RPG this season. The Spurs will explore the 24-year-old center’s market value before bringing him to the U.S., and McDonald expects them to let him adjust to the league gradually, just as they did with Boban Marjanovic and Davis Bertans.
- Kemba Walker appears to be the Mavericks‘ most realistic option in free agency, Marc Stein of the New York Times said in a recent radio interview in Dallas. Stein said the Mavs are “legitimately intrigued” by Walker, and he believes they will get a meeting with him when free agency begins in July.
- Rockets associate head coach Jeff Bzdelik has found a way to balance basketball and family after briefly walking away from the game last fall, relays Brian T. Smith of The Houston Chronicle. Houston convinced him to return in November and he helped fix the defense after a disastrous start. “He was kind of resolute for a little while,” said Rockets CEO Tad Brown. “Fortunately for us, we were able to wear him down and end up bringing him back. The first thing was always, let’s make sure everything is OK, personally, with he and his family. And then, secondarily, how do we handle this, how do we move forward? But at the same time, he’s a key part of what we do. How do we get him back to (our) family?”
Raptors Notes: Lowry, Leonard, Small Lineup, Nurse
Kyle Lowry is facing a critical point not only in the Raptors‘ current playoff series, but maybe in his future in Toronto, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. A loss in the conference semifinals would likely lead to major changes for the organization, which could include moving on from Lowry, who will make $33.5MM next season in the final year of his contract.
The Raptors need more offense from Lowry, who made just two shots from the field and finished with seven points in a Game 3 loss. With Pascal Siakam listed as doubtful for today because of a calf contusion, Toronto will need someone to provide extra scoring punch.
“I passed up a lot of shots (in Game 3), and (I need to focus on) not anything but trying to make the next play, and the right play is me shooting sometimes,” Lowry said. “And overthinking that is trying to get everybody involved or get an easier shot or get someone else going. It’s kind of been one of the things where I shouldn’t have done (that) as much. But I’ve done it, but next game, and for the games going on, I’ve got to be a little bit more assertive.”
There’s more this morning from Toronto:
- Toronto may be at a crossroads regarding its future, writes Tom Ziller of SB Nation. A loss today would put the Raptors in a 3-1 hole, making it unlikely that they’ll win the series, which in turn makes it harder to imagine that Kawhi Leonard will stay in Toronto, Ziller notes. Leonard is expected to opt out of the final year of his contract this summer and is rumored to want to play in Los Angeles. Siakam looks like a future star, but if Leonard leaves, the Raptors will be left with an aging core of Lowry, Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka.
- The Raptors may move away from their smaller lineups after being dominated inside in Game 3, according to Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. That means the trio of Lowry, Fred VanVleet and Norman Powell may not take the floor together in today’s game, which could result in more minutes for Leonard and Patrick McCaw. “Obviously you look at — jeez, they just look bigger, and the size problem, and with Kyle-Fred-Norm out there we get a little small, right?” coach Nick Nurse said. “But there’s some things we can do with the rotations. We’ll take a look at that, but we can get bigger out there.”
- Max Whittle of Sky Sports examines Nurse’s journey from the British Basketball League to the NBA playoffs.
Terrence Jones To Play In The Philippines
The Philippines will be the next stop for veteran forward Terrence Jones, according to Nicola Lupo of Sportando. Jones has signed with TNT KaTropa to compete for this year’s PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
The 27-year-old spent time with the Rockets on a pair of 10-day contracts in February and March, but only got into two games and played five total minutes. He appeared in 26 G League games this season, averaging 23.5 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.7 assists.
Houston selected Jones with the 18th pick in the 2012 draft, and he spent four seasons there. His best year came in 2013/14, when he averaged 12.1 PPG and 6.9 RPG in 76 games. He also played briefly for the Pelicans and Bucks.
LeBron James Speaks Out About Magic’s Resignation
LeBron James broke his silence on Magic Johnson’s surprising departure as president of the Lakers with strong words for his former boss, writes Ben Golliver of The Washington Post. James’ comments came on the latest episode of “The Shop,” his HBO show, which aired tonight.
“It was just weird for [Johnson] to just be like . . . ‘Nah, I’m out of here,’” James said. “And not even have [a heads-up] like: ‘Hey, Bron . . . kiss my a–. I’m out of here.’ I would have been okay with that. Like: ‘Hey, Bron, it’s Magic. Kiss my a–; I’m gone.’ It wasn’t even that.”
Johnson made the announcement in a session with reporters as the Lakers were preparing for their final game of the season. He didn’t talk to team owner Jeanie Buss or any of the players about his intentions before informing the media.
“We were like, ‘Damn, right now?’ It was literally 70 minutes on the clock before [tip-off],” James said. “[The team] is getting ready for a game. And you decide to do that right here, right now? I feel like there’s a time and place for things, and I believe that you knew you were going to make that decision. So why would you do it here? And why would you do it now?”
Also on “The Shop,” James recalled Johnson’s recruiting message last summer in which he hoped to build a new version of “Showtime,” the Lakers’ team that dominated the 1980s.
“I came here to be a part of the Lakers organization [after] having a conversation with Magic,” James said. “[He was] really kind of breaking it down and saying how we were going to make this ‘Showtime’ again. I wanted to be a part of that process.”
Atlantic Notes: Smart, McHale, Nets, Knicks
Marcus Smart is expected to join his Celtics teammates for practice tomorrow, according to Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. It will be Smart’s first on-court action since suffering an oblique tear last month.
Although Smart will be a full participant, the session won’t include contact as coach Brad Stevens plans to give the team a break ahead of Monday’s Game 4 against the Bucks.
“I’m going to talk to our training staff [on Saturday], and then, [Sunday], all indication is he will go through our practice,” Stevens said. “I’m writing up our practice plan now, and I don’t have any live drills on it, so if he does [contact work], it’ll probably be before or after practice, if that’s his next step.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Former teammate Kevin McHale reached out to Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge after he suffered a mild heart attack this week, relays Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. McHale, who has previous front office experience with the Timberwolves, can relate to the pressure of running a team. “It’s a stressful job, but I would say Danny has probably got the best perspective of anyone in the league on that job and what’s going on,” McHale said. “… I think having Austin [his son is the Celtics’ director of player personnel] working there with him, I can just tell how much he enjoys it and how well they work together.”
- Gianluca Pascucci, who serves as director of global scouting for the Nets, is being considered for an executive position with AC Milano in Italy, but the organization may try to hold on to him, tweets NetsDaily. Pascucci could be a candidate for assistant GM in Brooklyn if Trajan Langdon leaves. Langdon was considered for front office positions with the Timberwolves and Pelicans and is rumored to be a candidate with the Wizards.
- Las Vegas oddsmakers are expecting a huge summer for the Knicks, writes David Purdum of ESPN. The SuperBook at Westgate Las Vegas has given New York 16-1 odds to win next season’s title, trailing just the Bucks, Celtics and Sixers in the East. Jeff Sherman, who oversees the Superbook’s NBA odds, told Purdum they are based on the Knicks being the favorites to land Kevin Durant in free agency. He adds that New York would be about a 300-1 shot without Durant.
Warriors Notes: Looney, Durant, Iguodala, Curry
Kevon Looney can expect salary offers in the $3-$5MM range when he becomes a free agent this summer, according to sources who spoke to Ethan Strauss of The Athletic. Looney became the Warriors‘ most reliable center in his fourth NBA season, averaging career highs with 6.3 points and 5.2 rebounds in 80 games.
Golden State has the league’s highest payroll, but Looney may have made himself too valuable to part with, Strauss adds. He’s only 23 and could be the starting center of the future, considering the uncertainty surrounding DeMarcus Cousins. Looney has expressed a desire to play in the Chase Center when it opens next season, and there won’t be any cap-related roadblocks because the team owns his Bird Rights.
There’s more Warriors news to pass along:
- Kevin Durant has a major free agency decision to make in less than two months, but it’s not distracting him during the playoffs, writes Steve Popper of Newsday. Durant has been on a scoring tear through the first two rounds of the postseason as he tries to lead the Warriors to their third straight championship since he arrived. “It’s just fun being out there,” he said when asked about playoff pressure. “What’s the worst that can happen to either team? We both lose and we got another game. One team loses, we play another game. I think once everybody looks at it in more of a wider view of things, I don’t think it’s that much pressure.”
- There were concerns that Andre Iguodala might have been overpaid when he signed his current contract, but the Warriors are happy to have him for $16MM this season and $17.18MM next year, relays Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Iguodala averaged 5.7 points and 3.7 rebounds in 68 games this season, career lows in both categories, but the team considers him to be invaluable in the playoffs. “Are we overpaying statistically? Probably,” coach Steve Kerr said. “Are we overpaying in terms of his value on winning a championship? Hell, no. Can you imagine us without him? No. He’s been worth every penny and more.”
- Not much has gone wrong for the Warriors so far in the conference semifinals, but Stephen Curry‘s foul problems have been a concern, notes Martin Rogers of USA Today. Curry has gotten into early foul trouble in the first two games, finishing with five each time, which affects Kerr’s planned rotations.