Monty Williams May Join Sixers’ Staff
Spurs executive Monty Williams is talking to Sixers head coach Brett Brown about a possible lead assistant role, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Currently the vice president of basketball operations in San Antonio, Williams spent five seasons as a head coach in New Orleans, compiling a 173-221 record and reaching the playoffs twice. He has been looking for an opportunity to return to coaching, Wojnarowski adds.
Williams served as associate head coach in Oklahoma City during the 2015/16 season before landing the job with the Spurs. He also spent five years as an assistant with the Trail Blazers.
Draft Decisions: Happ, Matthews, Gabriel, Riley
Draft decisions have been rolling in all day as we move closer to the 11:59pm Eastern deadline. While some prominent names such as Jontay Porter, PJ Washington, Brian Bowen, Tyus Battle and Lindell Wigginton have announced their choices, we’re still waiting to hear from prospects such as Kentucky’s Jarred Vanderbilt, Nevada’s Caleb Martin and Cody Martin and a few others.
Here are some of the players who reached decisions today:
- Wisconsin’s Ethan Happ will return to the Badgers for his senior season, tweets Gery Woelfel of Woelfel’s Press Box. He averaged 17.9 points and 8.0 rebounds this season and was a first team All-Big 10 selection for the second straight year.
- Charles Matthews will return to Michigan for his senior season, according to Tom Wywrot of MGoBlue.com. Matthews averaged 13.0 points per night in helping the Wolverines reach the national title game. “I learned a lot throughout this process, but my main focus will now be completing my education at Michigan and leading my teammates to more success next season,” he said.
- Kentucky’s Wenyen Gabriel plans to sign with an agent and remain in the draft, relays Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link). He appeared in 38 games as a freshman, averaging 4.6 points and 4.8 rebounds.
- Cody Riley will play another season at UCLA, Rothstein adds (Twitter link). Riley was held out the entire year after being involved in an alleged shoplifting incident in China.
- Iowa’s Tyler Cook will also leave the draft, according to Rothstein (Twitter link). He averaged 15.3 points and 6.8 rebounds as a sophomore.
- Noah Dickerson will return to Washington for another season, tweets ESPN’s Jeff Goodman. Dickerson earned first team All-Pac 12 honors as a junior, averaging 15.5 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.
- Wyoming’s Justin James has withdrawn from the draft, according to a story on GoWyo.com. The 6’7″ guard averaged 18.9 points and 6.0 rebounds as a junior. “I received some very promising feedback from around the NBA,” James said. “I will continue to grow my game here in Laramie and put myself in position to live my dream and play at the next level following one more season playing for the Cowboys.”
- Robert Franks will play his senior season at Washington State, tweets the school’s basketball program. Franks posted a 17.4/6.6/1.9 line this year.
Pistons To Interview Howard, Casey, Udoka
Heat assistant coach Juwan Howard will interview with the Pistons about their head coaching vacancy, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Howard is expected to receive an interview in the next few days, Wojnarowski adds. He is the second prominent name to emerge as a candidate for the job today, following TNT broadcaster Kenny Smith. Former Raptors coach Dwane Casey and Spurs assistant Ime Udoka will also receive interviews, according to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports.
Howard has been part of Erik Spoelstra’s staff in Miami for the past five seasons. He and Smith were among 11 candidates to interview for the Knicks’ head coaching position before they hired David Fizdale.
Howard, 45, played 19 NBA seasons before retiring in 2013. Casey coached Toronto for the past seven seasons before being fired after a second-round playoff ouster, and Udoka has been on Gregg Popovich’s staff for six years.
Lindell Wigginton Withdraws From Draft
Iowa State’s Lindell Wigginton has tweeted his decision to pull out of the NBA draft and return to school for another season.
“Was a blessing going through the draft process but I have made my decision,” he wrote. “I’m now looking forward to helping lead the Cyclones to a great year and getting us back on the national map! Thanks so much to all of the support from CyclONEnation during this process!”
The 20-year-old guard averaged 16.7/3.7/2.8 as a freshman. He has international experience with Canada, winning a silver medal at the FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship in 2016 and a gold medal at the Under-19 tournament in 2017.
Wigginton is 67th on the list of top 100 prospects compiled by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and doesn’t appear in his mock draft.
Wigginton’s pre-draft workouts included sessions with the Lakers, Hawks and Suns.
Tyus Battle Returning To Syracuse
Syracuse swingman Tyus Battle will return to the Orange for another season, tweets Jeff Goodman of ESPN.
Battle was an iron man at Syracuse in his sophomore season, leading all of Division I by playing 39.0 minutes per game. He posted a line of 19.2/2.9/2.1 while earning second-team All-ACC honors.
He appears at No. 40 in the list of top 100 prospects compiled by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and was projected as the 40th pick by the Nets in Givony’s latest mock draft.
Battle’s reported workouts were with the Clippers, Nets, Magic, Lakers and Knicks.
Brian Bowen Elects To Stay In Draft
Brian Bowen, a Louisville recruit who transferred to South Carolina but never played a game for either school, has decided to remain in the NBA draft, reports GamecocksOnline.
The NCAA probably influenced Bowen’s decision by informing South Carolina officials that Bowen would be ineligible for at least another season because of benefits allegedly provided to his family by Louisville and the requirement to sit out a transfer year.
“I am completely devastated by the NCAA’s ruling,” Bowen said. “All I ever wanted to do was continue my education and play college basketball, however, after learning of the ruling, and discussing it with my family and attorney, I’ve decided to pursue my professional career. I’m grateful to the University of South Carolina and Frank Martin for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to be a Gamecock.”
Bowen remains a long shot to be drafted, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, who places him at No. 87 on his list of the top 100 prospects. He was a McDonald’s All-American last year as a high school senior and was considered a five-star recruit.
Bowen has been active through the pre-draft process, with workouts reported for the Hawks, Jazz, Spurs, Celtics, Nets, Bulls, Lakers and Knicks. He also held draft combine interviews with the Pistons, Trail Blazers, Kings, Raptors and Timberwolves.
Weekly Mailbag: 5/21/18 – 5/27/18
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.
Would beating the Celtics in Game 7 make LeBron James more likely or less likely to leave the Cavaliers this summer? — Daniel, via Twitter
There’s a school of thought that LeBron returned to Cleveland four years ago because he felt he owed a debt to the city. That was paid off with the championship in 2016, and another Finals appearance would only add to his legacy. It also removes any obligation he might feel about staying. When LeBron ponders his future this summer, his main focus will be whether any situation gives him a better shot at winning than staying with the Cavaliers does. If the team had fallen in the first round against Indiana or the second round against Toronto, that might have helped push him out of town, but now it’s clear that the Cavs are still among the top teams in the East and can remain there with a roster upgrade. Win or lose, tonight’s game probably won’t factor into his free agency decision.
Which players should be on the Bucks’ radar and who are the top three most likely players to land in Milwaukee? — Dan Vachalek, via Twitter
The Bucks are over the salary cap, even without making a decision on restricted free agent Jabari Parker, so they won’t be able to chase any elite free agents. Milwaukee could use another 3-point shooter, more scoring off the bench and rebounding help, but they’ll have to address those needs in affordable ways. They might get some help in the draft, where they have the No. 17 pick, but if you’re looking for free agent targets, Tyreke Evans could be a possibility with the mid-level exception, as could veteran guards Avery Bradley and Danny Green.
With the Warriors now having a legitimate challenger in the Western Conference, how many more seasons will they be favored to win the NBA title? — JR, via Twitter
Age isn’t a concern — Golden State’s four All-Stars are 28 to 30 — so the Warriors could still have another three- to four-year run of championships if the roster stays together. The more immediate obstacles are financial. Kevin Durant has a player option for next season, but he isn’t going anywhere. However, if he winds up with a max contract similar to Stephen Curry‘s, Golden State will be spending about two thirds of its cap room on two players. Klay Thompson‘s contract expires after next season, and Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala both follow in 2019/20. The Warriors have Bird rights on all those players, so they can hold onto them as long as they’re willing to pay an escalating luxury tax, but the point will eventually come where the roster is too expensive to keep together.
Hornets Notes: Walker, Whiteside, Draft, Salary Cap
The lack of teams with cap space and a weak crop of free agent point guards could work to the Hornets’ advantage if they decide to trade Kemba Walker, writes Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. That’s the assessment of ESPN’s Bobby Marks, a former executive with the Nets, who thinks Walker will reach his peak trade value this summer. Walker has one year left on his contract, and Marks states that teams would rather pick up a player in the offseason rather than close to the trade deadline.
Addressing trade rumors during the season, team owner Michael Jordan said he would only consider moving Walker if it meant getting an All-Star in return. Marks considers that unrealistic, saying a lottery pick is likely the best the Hornets can hope for. The franchise is near the tax threshold and would like to unload one of its expensive contracts in any Walker deal, but Marks says that will only happen if Walker’s new team gets assurances he will re-sign.
There’s more today from Charlotte:
- Hassan Whiteside would help the Hornets get younger at center, but his contract woudn’t make him a wise pickup, Bonnell cautions in a separate piece. Whiteside clashed with Heat coach Erik Spoelstra this season over reduced playing time, and there are indications out of Miami that the team would like to deal him. Charlotte has Dwight Howard signed for one more year at $23.8MM, while Whiteside is owed $25.4MM next season with a $27MM player option for 2019/20. Bonnell doubts the investment in Whiteside would be worth it, considering the NBA is trending away from traditional low-post centers.
- In another story, Bonnell analyzes the Hornets’ draft prospects and takes a look at new GM Mitch Kupchak’s drafting history. Bonnell identifies a top eight of DeAndre Ayton, Luka Doncic, Marvin Bagley III, Jaren Jackson Jr., Mo Bamba, Michael Porter, Wendell Carter and Trae Young, and states that anyone else has a reasonable chance of being available when Charlotte picks at No. 11.
- This year’s extended playoffs, which feature a seventh game in both conference finals for the first time since 1979, will provide the NBA with extra revenue that will affect next year’s salary cap, Bonnell tweets. That should raise the $101MM cap projection at least slightly and benefit cash-strapped teams like the Hornets, who already have $117.9MM in committed salary for next season.
Warriors Notes: Iguodala, McCaw, Green, Young
The bone bruise on Andre Iguodala‘s left knee is healing more slowly than the Warriors had hoped and he appears to be a long shot to play in Game 7, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Iguodala was declared out shortly before Game 6 and is officially listed as day-to-day, but coach Steve Kerr is pessimistic about his chances to return.
“We’re operating under the assumption he won’t play,” Kerr said.
Losing Iguodala has left the Warriors scrambling to find a fifth player to pair with their four All-Stars. Of the contenders, rookie Jordan Bell had the best plus/minus rating in Game 6 at +10, but he’s slow to react defensively and remains jumpy and prone to foul trouble, Slater writes. Kevon Looney has been starting in Iguodala’s absence, but the Rockets are scoring on him regularly and he doesn’t provide much offense. Shaun Livingston has looked best in that role, but Kerr prefers to limit him to 15 minutes per game.
There’s more Warriors news to pass along this morning:
- Saturday’s blowout allowed Patrick McCaw to see four minutes of action at the end of the game, Slater notes in the same story. McCaw, who missed nearly two full months after a frightening fall, was activated before Game 6. Slater suggests he could work his way into a larger role if the Warriors reach the NBA Finals. “Coach Kerr pulled me aside today and just [asked] me, how would I feel being active and suiting up and if we get up big to play three or four minutes at the end of the game,” McCaw said. “… I called my mom. I called my dad, let them know I would be putting my uniform on tonight.”
- Two years ago, Draymond Green was convinced he was about to be traded following a heated clash with Kerr, writes Howard Beck of Bleacher Report. However, Kerr denies the team ever considered such a move. “This guy is the best at what he does in the entire league,” he said. “At that point, he had already helped us win a title, and he’s in the prime of his career. Like, what are we talking about? The ‘Draymond problem’ wasn’t really that big of a problem. It was just: Can we help him channel his emotion and his energy in the right direction?'”
- Nick Young provided an unusual explanation for his defensive improvement in Game 6, relays Jace Evans of USA Today, saying former NBA star Dennis Rodman visited him in a dream. “He had the purple hair, all kinds of stuff,” Young said. “He told me, ‘Tomorrow you’re going to play a little defense,’ and I was like, ‘Nah that’s not my game, Dennis Rodman, why you in my dream?’ But it just so happened I played a little defense.”
Chris Paul ‘Less Likely Than Likely’ For Game 7
Chris Paul‘s chances of playing in Game 7 are “less likely than likely,” a league source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, but the Rockets remain hopeful that his injured right hamstring will heal enough for him to take the court Monday (Twitter link). The team is “working every angle to try,” Woj adds.
Houston obviously missed its star point guard during a second-half collapse Saturday that resulted in a 29-point loss in Game 6. Paul offered advice and moral support on the sidelines, but his absence left a shortened rotation that was outscored 64-25 after halftime.
“I don’t know. I have no idea,” Houston coach Mike D’Antoni said after the game in a video clip tweeted by Mark Berman of Fox 26. “I was in pre-med. Just to let you know, and I’m pretty good. … The doctors, they’ll tell me.” Asked about having Paul on the bench, D’Antoni responded, “I hate it. … He needs to be on the floor. … He’s great. He’s a winner.”
Paul, who suffered the injury on a shot in the final minute of Game 5, continues to receive around-the-clock treatment, writes Janie McCauley of The Associated Press. The Rockets’ training staff wanted Paul to skip the flight to Oakland for Game 6, tweets Tim Cato of SB Nation, but D’Antoni said the plan was always to have him accompany his teammates.
“All our doctors are with us,” D’Antoni told Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. “He can get the same type of treatment. Plus, he doesn’t want to miss this. He’s worked his whole career to be here. He’s very responsible for us getting here, so he needs to be here. Treatments will be the same as if he was there, here, doesn’t matter. It will take a few days, and he’ll just have to do what he has to do.”
Paul has been brilliant for the Rockets in the playoffs in his first season in Houston, posting a 21.1/5.9/5.8 line through 17 games. He is in the final year of the contract he signed with the Clippers, and reaching a new deal will be among the Rockets’ priorities this offseason.