Bucks Notes: Antetokounmpo, Henson, Rodgers, Ilyasova
The Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo are both envisioning a long-term relationship, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN. Antetokounmpo will be 26 when his current contract expires after the 2020/21 season, and he hopes to sign another long-term deal in Milwaukee.
“Definitely. That’s one of my goals,” Antetokounmpo said about spending his career with one franchise. “Kobe [Bryant] did it. Tim Duncan did it. Dirk Nowitzki did it. I just want to be one of those guys … that stays for the city, play for the city for 20 years.”
That view is shared by the Bucks, who want to hold onto their MVP candidate for as long they can. Antetokounmpo is coming off his best NBA season, averaging 26.9 points and 10.0 rebounds per game and leading the team to its third playoff appearance in the past four seasons. Bucks president Peter Feigin calls him a “unicorn” and says the franchise is doing all it can to maximize Antetokounmpo’s appeal.
“I think all of us feel like extremely lucky and have a big responsibility to do fantastic things for him, for the team, for the league,” Feigin said. “So we spend a lot of time and just being as innovative as we can and [discussing] how do we really take his likability and just blow it out of the sky.”
There’s more today from Milwaukee:
- John Henson is sitting out his second straight playoff game with back issues, the Bucks announced this morning (Twitter link). Milwaukee’s starting center averaged 9.5 points and 6.0 rebounds in the first two games of the series with Boston.
- Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has become a limited partner in the Bucks’ ownership group, relays Rob Demovsky of ESPN. A longtime NBA fan, Rodgers was introduced to the crowd in his new role during Friday’s Game 3. “I am excited and honored to deepen my connection to the region by joining Wes Edens, Marc Lasry, Jamie Dinan, Mike Fascitelli and the ownership group of the Milwaukee Bucks,” Rodgers said. “As a huge fan of the NBA and the sport of basketball, this is a dream come true for me, and I look forward to furthering my affinity for Wisconsin sports as a minority owner in a team I love and support.”
- Sixers forward Ersan Ilyasova gave serious consideration to the Bucks after his buyout from Atlanta, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Ilyasova broke into the NBA with Milwaukee and his family still lives there, but he was more excited about the opportunity in Philadelphia.
Vander Blue Leaves Italian Team
Vander Blue, who spent part of this season as a two-way player with the Lakers, is no longer with Fiat Torino in Italy, according to Nicola Lupo of Sportando.
Blue played five games for L.A. before being waived in January, seeing just nine total minutes of court time. He was much more effective for the Lakers’ South Bay affiliate in the G League, averaging 19.0 points in 15 games.
Blue was MVP of the Italian Cup in February, but had difficulty adjusting to the new league after that. He averaged 3.1 points per game while shooting 12% from the field and 10% from 3-point range.
Ime Udoka To Interview With Hornets
The Hornets will interview Ime Udoka for their head coaching vacancy this week, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. An assistant in San Antonio, Udoka joins fellow Spurs assistant Ettore Messina and former Grizzlies coach David Fizdale on Charlotte’s interview list.
Udoka has been an assistant to Gregg Popovich for the past six years after concluding his playing career in San Antonio in 2010/11. He played seven NBA seasons, also spending time with the Trail Blazers, Kings, Knicks and Lakers.
Keep up to date with all the latest coaching news with our NBA Head Coaching Search Tracker.
Cavaliers Notes: LeBron, Calderon, Hill, Thompson
Only LeBron James can save the Cavaliers from an embarrassing first-round loss, writes Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. James’ teammates haven’t been providing much help during the first three games with Indiana, hitting just 41% of their open shots, one of the worst percentages among playoff teams. Lloyd notes that youngsters Jordan Clarkson and Rodney Hood and veterans Jeff Green and Kyle Korver are all struggling with their shots, and even coach Tyronn Lue admits that James’ supporting cast isn’t doing enough.
The dangers of an early exit are obvious, giving James more than two months to ponder whether he wants to return to a team that couldn’t get past the first round. Lloyd adds that several Cavs veterans told him in January that the team wasn’t good enough to compete for a title and they didn’t expect it to be by June. If they turn out to be right, it could make James’ next decision a lot easier.
There’s more this morning out of Cleveland:
- The Cavaliers will start Jose Calderon at point guard if George Hill is unable to go tonight, relays Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com. Hill is listed as questionable with back spasms, tweets ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, and will receive treatment prior to the game. Hill, who had an MRI Saturday, first hurt his back in Game 1, then aggravated it chasing a loose ball Friday night. Lue chose not to put Calderon into a “tough spot” in the fourth quarter after not playing all game, Pluto adds, which meant James never got a break in the second half. He is averaging more minutes than anyone through the first three games of the playoffs.
- Lue plans to give backup center Tristan Thompson a greater role in tonight’s game, Lloyd tweets. Thompson played just two minutes at the end of Game 1 and hasn’t gotten off the bench since. However, Lue made similar comments before the past two games, then elected not to use Thompson at all.
- Larry Nance Jr. is chronicling his first playoff experience in a postseason blog for NBA.com. “I haven’t been surprised by anything so far,” he wrote. “I knew it was going to be a bunch of guys flying around, playing hard – and it’s been exactly that. It’s just, a couple of shots here and a couple there fall differently and it’s a completely different series. But that’s Playoff basketball.”
Calipari Meets With NBPA About Eligibility Changes
Kentucky coach John Calipari met with NBA Players Association representatives last week to explain his ideas for major reforms to the “one-and-done” process and the G League, writes Mac Engel of The Fort Worth Star Telegram.
Calipari advocates a system that would create an easier path for high school players who want to go directly to the pro ranks. He is urging the union to set up a “combine” for high school juniors.
“Kids should be able to go [to the NBA] out of high school,” he said. “That’s not our deal. That’s between the NBA and the Players Association. Don’t put restrictions on kids.”
Calipari sees failure in the current rules, adopted by the NBA and the union in 2007, that stipulate players have to be at least age 19 or a year past graduation to be eligible for the draft. The purpose was to reduce the role of agents, but their reach has become greater than ever.
He envisions a system similar to minor league baseball, with the NBA providing G League players with salaries in the $30K range, along with money for college tuition.
“What do we do with these kids now,” Calipari asked. “What do we do if they are not academically ready at all, because they didn’t plan on it. Who wants to take care of those thousands of kids whose family, many times, are dealing with generational poverty and their chance was maybe to get him an education?
“Now, how many kids do you think who went thinking, ‘I’m here one, or two, and done and stayed all four years? It’s been proven by the graduation rates it’s a ton. What’s wrong with that? I don’t care what they do, but let’s not force them to go to the G League. If they choose to do that, that’s fine, but why don’t we make sure if they don’t make it in, they at least have a chance at a guaranteed education.”
Community Shootaround: Portland Trail Blazers
After exceeding expectations during the regular season, the Trail Blazers went the other way in the playoffs. Coming in as the No. 3 seed in the West, Portland is the first team to exit the postseason after a shocking sweep by the Pelicans.
The focus now turns to next year and how to improve a team that won 49 games. The Blazers are already about $10MM over the salary cap for 2018/19, and that number could go significantly higher. Jusuf Nurkic, Shabazz Napier and Pat Connaughton are all eligible for extensions this summer, with their qualifying offers combining for nearly $10MM.
Nurkic will be looking for a big-money deal after averaging 14.3 points and 9.0 rebounds in 79 games. He established himself as Portland’s starting center immediately after being acquired from the Nuggets in a trade last season and won’t be easy to replace if the Blazers decide he’s not affordable.
Most of the team’s salary is tied up in the starting backcourt of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, who are both signed to rich contracts through the 20/21 season. In addition, Evan Turner will make more than $36MM over the next two years, and Maurice Harkless and Meyers Leonard are each around $22MM for the same time frame, meaning no cap relief is coming until at least the summer of 2020.
President of basketball operations Neil Olshey has to decide this summer if the current approach will keep the Blazers competitive or if major changes are needed. Rumors are already circulating that head coach Terry Stotts may be fired after six years on the bench. But the only way to bring radical change is to break up the high-priced backcourt. Lillard is owed more than $89.4MM over the next three seasons, while McCollum will get more than $82.6MM. Either one would bring a healthy trade package in return, and a deal could help ease the financial logjam.
What would you do if you were running the Blazers? Would you break up one of the best backcourts in the NBA, or is there a better solution? Please give us your feedback in the comments section below.
Terry Stotts’ Job In Jeopardy?
There are “murmurs” that Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts may be fired after being swept by the Pelicans, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times.
Stotts has five straight postseason appearances and a 272-220 record in his six years in Portland. However, this is the second consecutive season that the Blazers have been swept out of the playoffs in the first round.
If Stotts is dismissed, Stein says the Magic would have “immediate interest” in hiring him. Orlando fired coach Frank Vogel after the end of the regular season, but hasn’t been in a rush to find a replacement, with Jerry Stackhouse as the only scheduled interview.
Stotts, 60, had head coaching jobs in Atlanta and Milwaukee before joining the Blazers. He was also a longtime assistant, working with the SuperSonics, Bucks, Warriors and Mavericks.
Heat Notes: Wade, Whiteside, J. Richardson, Winslow
Dwyane Wade has provided countless thrills for fans at AmericanAirlines Arena over the years, but the last ones may have come this afternoon, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Wade turned in a vintage performance with 25 points, but it wasn’t enough to keep Miami from suffering a 106-102 loss to the Sixers and falling into a 3-1 hole in the series.
“I don’t want to answer that right now,” Wade said when asked if he thought today might mark his final appearance on Miami’s home court. “I’ve got another game to play. I’m focused on the next game.”
Wade’s playoff performance has been the high point of his return to Miami after a trade from Cleveland in early February. He hasn’t publicly addressed the idea of retirement, but he turned 36 in January and isn’t signed beyond this season.
There’s more news to pass along from Miami:
- The Heat came into today’s game looking to give Hassan Whiteside a greater role in the offense, writes Shandel Richardson of The Sun-Sentinel. Whiteside had averaged just 13.3 minutes during the first three games of the series and his production was limited to 3.6 points and 4.0 rebounds per night. He got 26 minutes today and responded with 13 points and 13 rebounds. “Coach gave me some minutes out there and I tried to make the most any time I got,” said Whiteside, who complained about reduced playing time last month. “Coach said no regrets.”
- There were reports that Heat guard Josh Richardson sprained the AC joint in his left shoulder, but the team is classifying it as a contusion, tweets Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Richardson, who set a franchise record with seven steals during the game, said his shoulder was hurting afterward. “Just trying to be active,” he told Jackson, “trying to put my fingerprints on the game.”
- Justise Winslow was fined $15K for stepping on Joel Embiid‘s facemask during Game 3, writes Ian Begley of ESPN. The act occurred in the second quarter when the mask was on the court. “He kept throwing [his mask] on the ground. I don’t know if he didn’t like it or what,” Winslow said. “I was talking to JoJo, we were smack-talking, trash-talking, going back and forth, but no love loss.” Embiid laughed off the incident, saying he has “about 50” masks available.
Draft Updates: Daum, Olinde, Echodas, Cate
Mike Daum of South Dakota State has tweeted his intention to enter the NBA draft. The junior forward averaged 23.9 points and 10.3 rebounds this year and has been an Associated Press honorable mention All-American the past two seasons.
“After speaking with my coaches and family I have decided to declare for the 2018 NBA Draft without an agent,” Daum wrote on Twitter. “I’m excited to pursue my dream and see where this process will take me!”
Daum is joined by a slew of international prospects who elected to test the draft waters as we move toward tomorrow night’s deadline. All the decisions relayed by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony:
- Louis Olinde, 20, of Germany, a 6’10” combo forward who appeared in 32 games for Bamberg in the Euroleague and BBL. (Twitter link)
- Lithuania’s Martynas Echodas, 20, a 6’10” center who plays for Lietuvos Rytas and is posting 9.5 points and 6.2 rebounds in 20 minutes per game (Twitter link).
- Emanuel Cate, 20, of Romania, a 6’10 forward who plays in Spain and was named MVP of last year’s under-20 European Championship in Division B (Twitter link).
- The Congo’s Romaric Belemene, 21, a 6’8″ combo forward who averages 9.5 points in 24 minutes for Oviedo in the Spanish second division. (Twitter link).
- Yago Dos Santos, 19, of Brazil, a 5’10” point guard who recently participated in the Nike Hoop Summit (Twitter link).
- Brazil’s Gabriel Galvanini, 19, a 6’9″ combo forward averaging 7.5 points and 4.6 rebounds for Bauru in the first division. He ranks 12th in ESPN’s 1998 international class ranking, according to Givony (Twitter link).
Injury Updates: Smart, Curry, Hill, Turner
Celtics guard Marcus Smart may be getting closer to a return, writes Marc D’Amico of NBA.com. Smart, who had surgery on his right thumb and has been sidelined since March 12, will be re-evaluated next week, coach Brad Stevens told reporters today.
“He’s doing everything in a workout that you can do,” Stevens said. “It’s just a matter of being cleared for live play.” He added that the Celtics intend to use Smart as soon as he is cleared for full contact.
Smart has been going through workouts with coaches, but is not permitted to do anything competitive until he receives medical clearance. Doctors are concerned with limiting the risk that his thumb will be re-injured once he returns to the court.
“I think it’s just a matter of you have to have that post-surgery healed enough to be able to take a hit even with a brace on it,” Stevens added. “That’s the hold up.”
There’s more injury-related news to pass on:
- The Warriors welcomed Stephen Curry back to practice today, but have no intention to use him in the series with San Antonio, relays Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. “He’s coming along well, but don’t expect him to be Willis Reed tomorrow,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. Curry, who has sat out the past four weeks with a sprained MCL in his left knee, completed several non-contact drills today without any setbacks. Doctors will re-evaluate him next weekend in hopes of a second-round return.
- Cavaliers guard George Hill is questionable for Game 4 after experiencing back spasms Friday night, according to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Hill had an MRI today after playing just 30 seconds in the fourth quarter because of back soreness. Coach Tyronn Lue said veteran Jose Calderon will probably start Sunday if Hill can’t play.
- Evan Turner was able to start today for the Trail Blazers after having a titanium plate placed in his right shoe to protect his big toe, tweets Jason Quick of NBC Sports Northwest. Turner suffered a bruise in Game 2 when he was kicked in the toe while chasing a loose ball.