Thunder Notes: Anthony, George, Collison, Donovan
Scratch the idea of Carmelo Anthony accepting a reserve role if he decides to return to the Thunder next season. The veteran forward emphatically rejected the idea during today’s exit interviews, tweets ESPN’s Royce Young.
“I’m not sacrificing no bench role,” Anthony responded when asked about the possibility. “So that’s out of the question.”
Anthony has a player option for next season worth nearly $28MM that he is considered likely to exercise because he’ll have difficulty getting that amount in free agency. After averaging a career-low 32.1 minutes in his first season in Oklahoma City and sitting for extended stretches in the playoffs, there was speculation that he might be might be transitioned into a bench role for 2018/19, but today’s comments make it clear he wouldn’t be a willing participant.
There’s more from the Thunder’s exit interviews:
- Paul George addressed his impending free agency again today, saying that playing at home in Los Angeles won’t be the “only option” when he hits the open market (Twitter link). George is considered a lock to opt out of his $20.7MM salary for next season and has long been rumored to have a desire to join the Lakers. George had an All-Star season during his first year in OKC, but his scoring, rebounding and shooting percentage from the floor all declined from last season with the Pacers.
- Veteran big man Nick Collison, who has been with the franchise for his entire 14-year career, said, “I think I’ve decided,” when asked about his NBA future, relays Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman (Twitter link). However, the 37-year-old added, “Today’s not the time to make any of those decisions final.”
- Head coach Billy Donovan provided a brief answer when asked if he expects to be back with the team next season (Twitter link). “Let me say I’m excited about the organization,” he replied. “I love working with [GM] Sam [Presti], the people that are here. I haven’t given any thought to that. My total focus is how do we get better and improve.” Donovan still has two seasons remaining on the five-year contract he signed when he was hired in 2015, but the Thunder have suffered first-round playoff eliminations in the past two seasons.
- Free agent guard Raymond Felton, who played for the veteran’s minimum this season, said he wants to return to the Thunder (Twitter link). “I don’t know what my future may hold,” the 33-year-old told reporters. “I would love to be back.”
Five Key Stories: 4/21/18 – 4/28/18
In case you missed any of this past week’s top stories from around the league, we have you covered with our Week in Review. Below are the most noteworthy stories from the last seven days.
The Grizzlies filled their head coaching job by signing interim J.B. Bickerstaff to a three-year contract. Bickerstaff took over after David Fizdale was fired early in the season and posted a 15-48 record in 63 games. This is the second head coaching opportunity for the long-time assistant, who spent most of the 2015/16 season as the interim in Houston.
The Hawks and head coach Mike Budenholzer reached a mutual decision to end their relationship. Budenholzer had interviewed for coaching jobs with the Suns and Knicks, and wasn’t interested in staying in a rebuilding situation in Atlanta. He received the full $13MM+ salary for the two seasons left on his contract.
The Pelicans elected to pick up the option on coach Alvin Gentry for next season. Gentry’s job was considered in jeopardy coming into this season, but he solidified his standing with management by leading the team to the sixth seed and a first-round sweep of the Trail Blazers.
Wizards forward Otto Porter missed the final game of the series with Toronto after having a procedure done on his left leg. Porter was listed as out indefinitely after the “lower leg fasciotomy for compartment syndrome,” which was performed to ease the build-up of blood flow around a contusion.
Veteran center Andrew Bogut signed a two-year deal to play for the Sydney Kings in his home country of Australia. The 33-year-old had a brief NBA comeback after fracturing his tibia late last season, but played just 23 games for the Lakers before being waived in January.
Here are eight more headlines from last week:
- Mavericks guard Wesley Matthews plans to exercise his option for next season. He played 63 games this year before suffering a fractured fibula in March.
- Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic had a “minimally invasive” procedure done on his left knee to repair a slight tear of his medial meniscus. He is expected to make a full recovery well before training camp.
- Nuggets center Mason Plumlee had surgery to fix a core muscle injury that bothered him for much of this season. The team expects him to be cleared for full basketball-related activities this summer.
- Jay Wright’s agent informed NBA teams that he has no plans to leave Villanova. Two clubs reportedly reached out to Wright, and there is speculation that the Knicks were one of them.
- The Nets added two former players to their staff. Pablo Prigioni was hired as an assistant coach and Tiago Splitter was named as a pro scout with additional duties related to on-court player development.
- Mike James, who held two-way contracts with the Suns and Pelicans, signed a three-year contract to play in Italy. He played a combined 36 games in his rookie NBA season.
- The Commission on College Basketball recommended an end to the NBA’s one-and-done rule regarding draft eligibility. The commission, headed by former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, was created after a federal investigation into corruption in the college game.
- Kentucky coach John Calipari, also an advocate of eliminating the one-and-done system, met with the NBA Players Union to discuss his ideas.
Ricky Rubio May Miss 10 Days With Injury
The hamstring injury that forced Ricky Rubio to leave Friday’s game in the first quarter may keep him sidelined as long as 10 days, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Sources add that Rubio could come back sooner, depending how he responds to rehab.
Rubio exited the series-clinching win against Oklahoma City after straining his left hamstring on a behind-the-back pass. It’s a recurring problem for Rubio, who missed a few late-season games with the same issue.
The news is a potentially devastating blow for the Jazz, who open a Western Conference semifinal series with the top-seeded Rockets tomorrow afternoon. Game 2 is set for Wednesday, but the schedule for the rest of the series hasn’t been finalized, so it’s not clear how many games Rubio might miss, even if he’s out for the full 10 days.
Playing in his first-ever postseason series, Rubio was stellar for Utah through five games, averaging 16.8 points, 8.6 rebounds and 7.8 assists. He posted a triple-double with 26/11/10 in Game 3.
Magic Receive Permission To Interview David Vanterpool
The Trail Blazers have granted permission for the Magic to interview assistant David Vanterpool about their head coaching job, as Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel details. The news was first reported by ESPN’s Chris Haynes (Twitter link).
Vanterpool, who has spent the past six years with Portland, was among four candidates to interview for the position in 2016 after Scott Skiles stepped down, Robbins notes. Orlando opted for Frank Vogel, who was fired after this season ended.
Vanterpool tied for third in a poll of GMs taken before the start of this season ranking the league’s top assistant coaches. The 45-year-old had brief NBA experience as a player, but spent most of his time overseas and in the Continental Basketball Association.
The news about Vanterpool makes him the first confirmed candidate for the Magic job, though a mid-April report indicated that the team intended to meet with Jerry Stackhouse. When Vogel was dismissed more than two weeks ago, team officials indicated they planned to take their time finding his replacement.
Robbins writes that president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman, who is running the coaching search, is expected to reach into his Toronto background and contact Raptors assistant Nick Nurse in addition to Stackhouse, who coaches Toronto’s G League affiliate.
Knicks To Interview Juwan Howard
Heat assistant coach Juwan Howard has emerged as a candidate for the Knicks’ head coaching job, tweets ESPN’s Zach Lowe. New York may interview Howard as early as this weekend.
Howard, 45, played 19 NBA seasons before retiring in 2013. He accepted a spot on Miami’s coaching staff and has remained there for five seasons.
He is part of a growing field of candidates hoping to take over for Jeff Hornacek, who was fired at the end of the season. Also interviewing for the position were Jerry Stackhouse, Mark Jackson, Mike Woodson, Kenny Smith, David Fizdale, Mike Budenholzer, David Blatt, James Borrego and Jay Larranaga. A report last night indicated the Knicks have particular interest in Budenholzer and Blatt.
Keep up to date with all the latest coaching developments with our 2018 NBA Head Coaching Search Tracker.
Pistons Notes: Van Gundy, Ennis, Tolliver, Griffin
For all the coaching news that has been made since the season ended, things have remained quiet in Detroit, notes Ansar Khan of MLive. Coach/executive Stan Van Gundy was scheduled to meet with owner Tom Gores this week in Los Angeles after missing the playoffs for the third time in his four years on the Pistons’ bench, but no update has come from those talks. Gores said he plans to evaluate Van Gundy’s coaching and front office roles separately, and there is speculation he could be asked to relinquish one or the other.
The delay may be a positive sign for Van Gunday, Khan wrote earlier this week, as teams tend to act quickly when making a coaching change to give themselves a shot at the best candidates on the market. Van Gundy, who has a 152-176 record in Detroit, has one season remaining on a five-year, $35MM contract.
There’s more tonight out of Detroit:
- The Pistons like free agents James Ennis and Anthony Tolliver enough to try to bring both of them back next season, writes Keith Langlois of NBA.com in a mailbag column. Ennis was a part-time starter after being acquired from the Grizzlies at the trade deadline and averaged 7.5 points in 27 games with Detroit. Tolliver, a veteran defensive specialist who signed with the Pistons last summer, can be had at or near the veteran’s minimum, Langlois adds, and Detroit’s front office will probably have time to evaluate its other moves before deciding whether to offer him a contract.
- It’s still too early to gauge whether the Pistons gave up too much to acquire Blake Griffin, Langlois contends in the same piece. The price tag was Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, Boban Marjanovic and a pair of draft picks. The Pistons were willing to accept Griffin’s injury risk on top of a massive, newly signed contract, but Langlois states the gamble will be worth it if he can stay relatively healthy.
- Don’t be surprised if the Pistons target a point guard in this year’s draft, Langlois adds. Ish Smith will be a free agent next summer and Reggie Jackson is under contract for two more seasons, so that could quickly become a position of need. However, because its first-round pick went to the Clippers in the Griffin trade, Detroit’s only selection is at No. 42.
Knicks Focused On Budenholzer, Blatt
Among all their coaching candidates, the Knicks are showing particular interest in former Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer and former Cavaliers coach David Blatt, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times.
Both men interviewed for the job in the past five days, and Knicks management “ramped up” its background work on Budenholzer and Blatt this week, according to Stein.
Budenholzer officially ended his relationship with Atlanta this week after requesting permission to interview for openings in Phoenix and New York. He has withdrawn from consideration for the Suns’ post, but is said to be particularly interested in joining the Knicks. Budenholzer led the Hawks to four straight playoff appearances before this season, but didn’t want to remain with a rebuilding franchise.
Blatt has been coaching in Turkey since being fired by Cleveland midway through the 2015/16 season. He took the Cavaliers to the finals in his only full NBA season, but was dismissed amid rumors that LeBron James preferred to have a former player as his coach.
Heat Rumors: Whiteside, Waiters, Haslem, Wade
The gamble the Heat took on Hassan Whiteside two years ago has backfired, writes Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post, and they are left with the choices of keeping him and his huge cap hit or trading him for virtually nothing. Whiteside still has two seasons remaining [including a $27.1MM player option for 2019/20] on the four-year deal he signed in the summer of 2016.
The Heat are open to dealing their starting center, but Bontemps warns they may not like the offers they get. He suggests the Mavericks might be interested if they can’t land a big-name free agent, with Dwight Powell going to Miami in return. Other possibilities Bontemps sees for Whiteside are heading to New York in exchange for Joakim Noah [owed roughly $37MM over the next two years] and the Bulls’ second-rounder or to Phoenix for Brandon Knight [$29MM over two years] and Tyson Chandler‘s expiring $13.6MM deal.
There’s more today out of Miami:
- The Heat are counting on Dion Waiters to solidify the shooting guard position once he returns from ankle surgery, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Waiters was limited to just 30 games before the January operation, and doctors aren’t sure if he will be ready for training camp or the start of the season. “I don’t think he’s felt right, physically, since when he first got here,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “He got in great shape, but once he injured his ankle, then he was always dealing with that. This is going to be a really important summer for him. He’s going to be here and he’ll be working a ton behind the scenes just to get his legs right, then he’ll work on the next step of getting in world-class shape and then he’ll get into the next phase of really developing his basketball skills.”
- Veteran forward Udonis Haslem isn’t sure whether Dwyane Wade will return for another season, adding he “wouldn’t be surprised” no matter what Wade decides, Jackson relays in the same story. Haslem hasn’t made a decision on his own future, but said he would like to work in the Heat organization when he retires, although not as a coach. He added that he and Wade haven’t discussed a mutual decision. “We’ve both in situations where we have a lot of different opportunities ahead of us,” Haslem said. “Do we want to retire together? In a perfect world it would be great to finish it together. But things don’t always work out like that.”
- After playing just 16 postseason minutes, Rodney McGruder wants a larger role next year, Jackson adds. McGruder had surgery on his leg in October and appeared in 16 regular season games after he returned in February. “I want to play,” he said. “I am happy for my teammates. I love cheering them on. I want to be playing in the playoffs.”
Poll: Breaking Up The Wizards’ Backcourt
After winning their division and taking the Celtics to the brink in a second-round series last year, the Wizards entered this season among the favorites in the Eastern Conference. Instead, they settled for an eighth seed and a first-round elimination.
It appeared Washington might miss the playoffs altogether when John Wall underwent knee surgery at the end of January. However, the Wizards managed a 15-12 record in his absence, sparking whispers that the team was better without him because of better ball movement.
Backcourt mate Bradley Beal, who has been beset by injury problems in the past, played all 82 games for the first time. He emerged as a team leader in Wall’s absence, averaging 22.6 points per game and posting career-best marks in rebounds (4.4 per game) and assists (4.5).
Washington has its All-Star backcourt locked up for the foreseeable future, but at a very expensive price. Wall will make nearly $19.2MM next season, then will start enjoying the benefits of a supermax extension that pays him $170MM over four years. Beal is owed nearly $81.3MM over the next three seasons.
With Otto Porter also getting a rich new extension last summer, the Wizards have extreme cap concerns over the next three years. They are already nearly $15MM over next season’s cap without counting possible player options for Jason Smith ($5.45MM) and Jodie Meeks ($3.45MM).
Operating so close to the luxury tax, the Wizards are limited in their ability to shake up the roster without a major trade. We’re asking our readers if they think it’s time to consider moving Wall or Beal as a potential cap solution. Please vote in our poll and give us your opinion on how Washington should handle the offseason.
What should the Wizards do this summer?
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Trade John Wall 40% (408)
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Keep the backcourt together 40% (408)
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Trade Bradley Beal 20% (210)
Total votes: 1,026
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Jason Kidd Won’t Get Second Interview With Suns
8:18pm: There are two new names to add to the Suns’ coaching search, according to Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link). The team had talks this week with Toronto assistant Nick Nurse and Pelicans associate head coach Chris Finch.
8:00pm: The Suns have completed their first round of coaching interviews, and Jason Kidd is among the candidates who have been eliminated, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 in Phoenix. He adds that the organization is currently informing all the interviewees of their current status.
Phoenix wrapped up the first stage of its coaching search this week, talking to ex-Hornets head coach Steve Clifford today and Spurs assistant James Borrego on Thursday.
Kidd has a 183-190 record in four and a half seasons as head coach of the Nets and Bucks. He took Milwaukee to the playoffs twice before being fired in January with a 23-22 mark. The newly elected Hall of Famer spent five seasons in Phoenix during his playing career.