Northwest Notes: Nurkic, George, Jazz, Bryant
The Trail Blazers should resist the temptation to spend big on free agent center Jusuf Nurkic, writes Dan Favale of Bleacher Report. Portland is already in a dicey cap situation with more than $110MM committed for next season and little relief coming until the summer of 2020.
Favale’s advice is to re-sign free agent Ed Davis, who earned $6.35MM this season and should have a much smaller price tag than Nurkic. He adds that the Blazers can form an effective center combination with Davis and rookie Zach Collins without plunging themselves into luxury tax territory.
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Paul George got nearly all A’s in his first season with the Thunder from Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman. George received high marks for deportment, stamina, defense and 3-point shooting, but only a D in ball security and a C for his performance in the playoffs. George was outstanding against the Jazz in Games 1 and 5, but shot a disastrous 2-of-16 with six turnovers as OKC was eliminated in Game 6.
- The Jazz will be looking for another scorer this summer to complement Donovan Mitchell, writes Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. Utah could have $17MM to spend, depending on what it does with free agent Derrick Favors and the non-guaranteed contracts of Thabo Sefolosha, Ekpe Udoh and Jonas Jerebko.
- Elijah Bryant of Brigham Young, who worked out for the Jazz today, is trying to prove he can carve out a place in the NBA, relays Kyle Goon of The Salt Lake Tribune. The Cougars’ leading scorer last season, Bryant is considered a long shot to be drafted but left school a year early because he wants to get started on a pro career at age 23. The first step is matching up with higher-regarded prospects at workouts. “So you come into a situation like that and you’re used to being the main guy on the team, but now everyone’s playing well, right?” Bryant said. “So I think being assertive and being able to communicate on this level is a different thing than being at BYU. Being able to show you’re in shape and show you can hit shots when you’re tired. Those are things that I’ve been able to show throughout this process.”
Community Shootaround: Best Coaching Hire
Since the regular season ended, the coaching carousel hasn’t stopped spinning. Nine franchises — nearly a third of the league — have conducted coaching searches, and just when it seemed things were slowing down, two more openings occurred this week as the Pistons and Raptors both dismissed their coaches.
When the Hawks introduce Lloyd Pierce at a press conference Monday, they will become the fifth team to officially hire a coach. Let’s take a quick look at those franchises and the new men in charge:
- Hawks, Pierce — Nobody understands rebuilding better than someone who has endured “the Process.” Pierce joined Brett Brown’s staff in Philadelphia in 2013 and went through some dismal seasons while the team collected young talent. He inherits another young roster in Atlanta, which will have four draft picks in the top 33.
- Hornets, James Borrego — A longtime assistant, Borrego comes from one of the NBA’s top organizations, spending 10 seasons with Gregg Popovich in San Antonio. He also has brief head coaching experience, taking over for 30 games with the Magic when Jacque Vaughn was fired in 2015. He has a veteran roster that could be broken up as Charlotte has a new GM in Mitch Kupchak and pressing salary cap issues.
- Grizzlies, J.B. Bickerstaff — He’s not new in town, as Bickerstaff held the job for most of this season, but the interim title has finally been removed. He took over a team ravaged by injuries to Mike Conley, Chandler Parsons and Tyreke Evans, and even though his record doesn’t look good at 15-48, the front office was happy with how Bickerstaff developed the team’s younger players. A healthier roster should give him a better chance to compete next season.
- Knicks, David Fizdale — The hottest free agent on the coaching market landed in New York. Fizdale was a highly respected assistant in Miami before getting the head coaching job in Memphis, which resulted in one playoff appearance and a 19-game stretch this season before being fired. He’ll get a shot at redemption in New York, but walks into a difficult situation with uncertainty about when Kristaps Porzingis might return from a torn ACL.
- Suns, Igor Kokoskov — He made his reputation as coach of the Slovenian national team before coming to the NBA as an assistant in 2000. Kokoskov has prior experience in Phoenix, helping to guide the organization to some of its best seasons with Steve Nash and Amar’e Stoudemire. He will take over a roster that already has one young star in Devin Booker and owns a 25% shot at landing the top pick in the lottery.
We want to get your feedback on all the coaching moves. Considering their respective rosters and their expectations for the future, which of the five teams made the best hire? Please share your opinion in the comments section below.
Sixers Will Pursue Top Free Agents
Luxury tax concerns won’t scare the Sixers away from chasing elite talent this summer, relays Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
LeBron James tops the list of targets and is rumored to be considering Philadelphia as a possible destination. GM Brian Colangelo estimates the team will have about $25MM in cap room, but more could be opened to meet James’ demand for a maximum deal starting around $35MM a year.
“I think the bar is very high for us in terms of who we are going to put on this team,” said Sixers co-managing partner Josh Harris. “But on the other hand, for a certain small number of players, like we are going to go after them hard. People have asked me about the luxury tax. I don’t have any problem spending for good players.”
Pompey shares a few other notes about the Sixers’ offseason:
- The franchise is planning to pursue Oklahoma City’s Paul George as well as James. George has expressed a desire to play in Los Angeles, but could be swayed by the young talent in place in Philadelphia. His defense and outside shooting would make him an attractive fit alongside Ben Simmons.
- The Sixers will make a play for Spurs star Kawhi Leonard if he becomes available in trade. Leonard has a good relationship with coach Brett Brown, but Pompey cites the risk of trading for him without a guarantee that he will sign an extension. Leonard can opt out of a $20.1MM salary next summer.
- Creating room for a max contract means renouncing the rights to free agents J.J. Redick, Amir Johnson, Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova. The Sixers could try to bring them back with the mid-level exception and minimum contracts, but they may all get better offers elsewhere. Redick signed a one-year, $23MM deal to come to Philadelphia last summer and is probably seeking a longer arrangement at age 33. Pompey expects him to get an offer in the $12MM to $15MM range. Johnson, 31, will also be searching for a long-term contract.
Shane Larkin Ruled Out For Games 1 And 2
Celtics guard Shane Larkin will miss the first two games of the Eastern Conference finals and may not be available at all, tweets Jay King of MassLive.
Coach Brad Stevens provided a medical update today on Larkin, who sprained his left shoulder in Game 5 of the series with the Sixers. Larkin had expressed hope that he could return at some point in the conference finals, which could run through May 27, but Stevens considers that doubtful.
The 25-year-old developed into a rotation player during his first season with Boston, playing 54 games and averaging 4.3 points in 14.4 minutes per night. He will be a free agent this summer after signing a minimum-salary deal last year.
Wolves Notes: Rose, Jones, Wiggins, Crawford
The Timberwolves are very interested in re-signing free agent guard Derrick Rose, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Rose turned into a valuable reserve after coming to Minnesota following a late-season buyout. He played just nine regular season games for the Wolves, but became a force in the playoffs, averaging 14.2 points and making seven of 10 3-pointers in the series with the Rockets.
Rose also played well defensively and proved himself to be a good teammate, Krawczynski adds, two attributes he didn’t display during his time in Cleveland. Minnesota’s only concern in bringing Rose back is his injury history, as he was sidelined for a while with a sprained ankle after joining the Wolves. Rose has excelled under Tom Thibodeau and wants to be with a coach he trusts after five unsettled seasons.
Krawczynski offers more insight into the Timberwolves in a mailbag column:
- A return by Rose would continue to limit the playing time for Tyus Jones, who saw his minutes decline after the Rose signing. Without roster changes, Jones would enter his fourth season as the third point guard on the depth chart.
- The front office may consider an Andrew Wiggins trade if the Wolves can find a better fit in return. The team needs to quickly take steps to become a serious contender with Jimmy Butler entering his option year, Krawczynski states, and dealing Wiggins or Gorgui Dieng might be necessary to make that happen. Both players have large contracts that will make them difficult to unload. A max extension for Wiggins kicks in next season, and Dieng is owed nearly $48.7MM over the next three seasons. Wiggins’ trade value is low coming off an underwhelming fourth NBA season, and Krawczynski thinks the franchise may decide to hold onto him and hope he can develop into an All-Star.
- One suggested deal would send Wiggins to the Raptors as part of a package for DeMar DeRozan, but there’s no evidence that Toronto is ready for a roster shakeup, even after firing coach Dwane Casey. A Butler-DeRozan combination would have many of the same issues as Butler and Wiggins, Krawczynski notes, including a lack of 3-point shooting.
- Don’t count on veteran guard Jamal Crawford returning for another season, even though Butler would prefer to keep him. The 38-year-old complained this season about Thibodeau’s reluctance to use his bench, and things are unlikely to change as Crawford gets older.
Sixers Notes: George, Brown, McConnell, Covington
The Sixers should pursue Paul George rather than LeBron James in free agency, contends Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. George is a better fit, Bontemps argues, because he would allow Ben Simmons to remain the primary ballhandler. Simmons is accomplished in nearly every phase of the game except for shooting and wouldn’t be effective spotting up alongside James.
George not only adds another 3-point shooter, he is a top defender who would create a smothering combination with Robert Covington. He could also serve as a second playmaker in case Markelle Fultz can’t overcome the issues that sank his rookie season.
The other benefit is age, Bontemps notes, with George about five-and-a-half years younger than James. He showed an ability to adapt to a new situation in Oklahoma City and would have plenty of prime seasons left for Simmons and Joel Embiid to develop as players.
There’s more today out of Philadelphia:
- An extension for coach Brett Brown should be the Sixers’ first move of the offseason, writes Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider account). Brown is entering the final season of the extension he signed in 2015 and deserves to be rewarded for the adversity he has guided the franchise through, Marks argues.
- The Sixers will be taking a risk if they exercise T.J. McConnell‘s $1.6MM option for next season, Marks adds in the same story. While that would be an easy way to preserve cap room, it would also make him an unrestricted free agent next summer. The alternative is to decline his option and extend a qualifying offer, which would throw him into restricted free agency right away. His price will go up — Marks estimates about $4MM to $5MM annually — but the Sixers can match any offer and lock him up for the long term. McConnell becomes eligible for an extension in July and can have his salary for next season negotiated with cap space beginning September 22.
- Covington didn’t live up to his four-year, $62MM extension in the playoffs, writes Marcus Hayes of The Philadelphia Inquirer. After starting 80 games in the regular season, Covington was replaced in the starting lineup by McConnell and fell behind Justin Anderson in the rotation. The playoffs may have redefined several players’ roles, Hayes notes, and it’s possible that Covington isn’t a good fit anymore.
- The Sixers are holding their exit interviews today, with much of the focus on the free agents. J.J. Redick, who signed a one-year deal last summer, will consider money, the chance to win and closeness to home when deciding on his next move, tweets Rich Hoffman of The Athletic. “This was probably my favorite year of my career. … Playing in Philly is its own experience. The buzz about this team was amazing,” Redick said (Twitter link from Derek Bodner of The Athletic). “We all hope that I am back. The [contract] numbers can get tricky. It’s not my job to worry about that.” (Twitter link).
Community Shootaround: Big Move in Philly?
Do they still trust the process in Philadelphia?
That’s the question to be addressed this summer for the Sixers, who are in position to grow into one of the East’s dominant teams over the next decade. With Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons serving as franchise cornerstones, another young talent in Dario Saric, the top pick in last year’s draft in Markelle Fultz and a probable lottery pick coming from the Lakers, the Sixers can stand pat this summer and still be assured of a bright future.
They also have the assets and the cap flexibility to take the opposite approach. Philadelphia is reportedly high on the list of possible destinations for LeBron James, and it wouldn’t take much cap tinkering to open enough cap room to offer a max contract. Philadelphia has roughly $67.4MM in committed salary for next season, which rises to about $70.6MM if the non-guaranteed contracts of T.J. McConnell and Richaun Holmes are both picked up. With a projected cap of $101MM, it would only take a minor move or two for the Sixers to be able to meet LeBron’s asking price.
If James goes elsewhere, Philly is position to trade for a third star. If San Antonio can’t work things out with Kawhi Leonard, an offer centered around Saric, Fultz and the Lakers’ pick could be enough to at least get the Spurs’ attention.
Even though their season ended in disappointment, there may be no team better positioned for the future than the Sixers. They can keep what they have or swing for the fences, and they figure to be among the top teams in the Eastern Conference either way.
What would you do? Would you let Simmons and Embiid develop as team leaders or try to rush the process and add another star? Jump into the comments section below and give us your feedback.
Stretch Provision Remains Most Likely Option For Noah
Joakim Noah sent a congratulatory message to David Fizdale this week, but it’s doubtful he will ever play for the new Knicks coach, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post.
The most likely resolution to Noah’s time in New York is a stretch-provision waiver after September 1, Berman adds. Waiting until then would lock in his $18.53MM salary for next season and would allow the team to stretch the $19.295MM he is owed in 2019/20 over three years. That would open up about $12MM in cap room for next summer when the Knicks hope to be aggressive on the free agent market.
Before that happens, the organization will spend the offseason trying to find a team willing to trade for Noah, who played just seven games this season and ended the year on an extended leave of absence after clashing in practice with former coach Jeff Hornacek.
It’s possible that the team brings Noah into training camp before making a final determination, Berman states. Enes Kanter [$18.6MM] and Kyle O’Quinn [$4.3MM] both have opt-out clauses and could be lost in free agency, leaving Noah and rookie Luke Kornet as the only centers on the roster. The Knicks can wait until the cut-down date in mid-October without losing any of the benefits of stretching Noah’s contract.
“I’m not putting a ceiling on anybody,” Fizdale said during his press conference on Tuesday. “Whoever is on our team in front of me is going to get my full attention to investment. He’s obviously given me fits from back in the days. I’ve got some Noah nightmares from when he was in Chicago, some of those wars.”
Gallinari Says Broken Hand Still Hasn’t Healed
Nearly a month after the regular season ended, Clippers forward Danilo Gallinari is still waiting for his broken right hand to fully heal, relays Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Gallinari offered an update on the injury during a recent interview with the Italian website Gazzetta.it.
“My right hand is not healed yet,” he said. “I visited some specialists in the USA and now I will do the same in Italy. I rule out the surgery for the moment, but I have to understand better how to recover.”
Gallinari was sidelined for 18 games after suffering the injury in March. He returned late in the season to try to help with the Clippers’ playoff push, but aggravated the condition during a fall in an April game.
He managed just 21 games in his first season after being traded to L.A. He is signed for about $21.6MM next season and $22.6MM in 2019/20.
Suns Planning Offer For Clint Capela
The Suns are planning a max or near-max offer for Rockets center Clint Capela this summer, according to Kelly Iko of Rockets Wire.
Phoenix is reportedly “enamored” with the fourth-year big man, who is in the midst of his best NBA season. He averaged 13.9 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game during the regular season and has raised those numbers to 14.4/12.2/2.8 in the playoffs.
The 23-year-old will be a restricted free agent, so the Rockets can match any offer he receives. Capela made a little more than $2.3MM this season in the final year of his rookie contract. Owner Tilman Fertita has indicated that he is willing to pay the luxury tax to keep his team together, which will undoubtedly come into play with Chris Paul, Trevor Ariza, Luc Mbah a Moute and Gerald Green also becoming free agents.
The Suns project to have more than $30MM in cap room and need help at center, with only 35-year-old Tyson Chandler signed for next season. Alex Len will be a free agent, and Alan Williams has a $5.52MM non-guaranteed deal.
However, the Suns have other needs and their plans could change depending on the results of next week’s lottery. Phoenix owns the league’s worst record and has a 25% chance to get the top pick in the draft, which could be Arizona center DeAndre Ayton. If that happens, the organization may target another position with its free agent money.