Warriors Notes: Looney, Durant, Iguodala
Warriors center Kevon Looney believes he will be able to play in Game 6 of the NBA Finals.
“They’re comfortable with me going out there as long as I can tolerate the pain,” Looney said (via Mark Medina of The Mercury News). “I feel like I should be able to play in Game 6.”
Looney was originally injured during Game 2 and at the time it was reported that he would be done for the series. He came back in Game 4 and played again in Game 5, but aggravated the fracture near his chest and rib and was unable to return. Looney underwent x-rays following the contest and “everything came back clean,” per the big man.
“They said nothing got worse, but it’s about me dealing with the pain,” Looney said. “I feel confident I should be able to play through it.”
Here’s more from Golden State:
- Prior to his latest injury, the Warriors were planning to offer Kevin Durant a long-term deal with the understanding that if the former MVP wanted to depart at any point during the contract, Golden State would accommodate that wish, Frank Isola of The Athletic hears. Isola adds that this type of arrangement could still be on the table even if Durant is forced to sit out the entire 2019/20 season.
- Andre Iguodala has hinted that he doesn’t have many more years left in him, but he’s confident he’ll return to the Warriors next season, as Anthony Slater of The Athletic relays on Twitter. “I’ll be here next year for sure, and I’m pretty confident that we’ll have our core back and we’ll try to make another run at it,” Iguodala said.
- Earlier today, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports relayed that Durant wasn’t “anywhere close” to 100% prior to Game 5. Throughout the process of returning, Durant was experiencing discomfort pushing off his right foot, the scribe added.
Southwest Notes: Morant, Zion, Valanciunas
Ja Morant met with the Grizzlies over the weekend, as Shams Charania of The Athletic passes along (Twitter link). Chris Herrington of the Daily Memphian confirms that the meeting took place and hears that the point guard remains the favorite to be selected with the No. 2 overall pick.
Morant recently underwent surgery on his right knee in a procedure that was deemed preventative. The health of Morant doesn’t appear to be an issue for Memphis, though it’s not certain if the team has seen the 19-year-old’s medical records.
Here’s more from around the Southwest Division:
- Zion Williamson met with the Pelicans earlier this week, Charania tweets. The Duke star is still expected to go No. 1 overall.
- Veteran center Jonas Valanciunas has a decision to make on his $17.6MM player option and David Cobb of The Commerical Appeal contends that it may be beneficial for both sides if Valanciunas elects to play out the year under that deal. The 27-year-old may not make that kind of annual salary with a new deal and the Grizzlies would have an opportunity to see if he can be a long-term fit with the club.
- Austin Rivers recently went on ESPN and spoke about the “frustrating” Rockets offense, as Ameer Tyree of Sporting News relays. Rivers said playing alongside James Harden‘s ball dominant game was difficult at times. “I think it works. We just have to mix it up. I think we have to a better job of mixing it up just a little bit,” the guard said.
Sixers Eyeing Immediate Contributor With No. 24 Overall Pick
The Sixers have the No. 24 overall pick in the upcoming draft and they will look to select a prospect who can immediately help them win games.
“That’s hopefully somebody that can come in and contribute right away,” Sixers senior director of scouting Vince Rozman said of the team’s first-round pick (via Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer).
GM Elton Brand will look to players who’ve had more experience. The Sixers will target “a player with more of a mature game than a ‘project.’ But I don’t know if that’s necessarily driven by age,” Brand said.
The fact that Philadelphia is hoping to land a rotation player in the draft comes as no surprise. The Sixers will attempt to bring back Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris, and J.J. Redick this summer, and if they’re successful, they’ll be limited in their ability to make upgrades to supplement their current group, as I detailed on a recent episode of NBA Math’s Hardwood Knocks podcast.
If the Sixers bring back their playoff starting five, the non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception—projected to come in at $9.246MM—would be the club’s greatest tool in acquiring additional talent. Teams have the ability to offer a free agent the entire amount of the MLE as a starting salary but can also split that amount among multiple players.
The Sixers also have four selections in the second round (Nos. 33, 34, 42, and 54). Philadelphia has worked out a bevy of prospects and will continue the evaluation process through draft night. No prospect may be as notable as Terry Harris (North Carolina A&T), brother of Tobias.
“One, they look a lot alike. That’s also interesting,” Rozman said. “But [Terry] is 6’6″. He can shoot. He defends. It’s got to be a proud moment for the family and Tobias and everybody.”
In addition to Terry, the Sixers have also brought in Tyler Harris for an audition at their free agent minicamp.
While Terry isn’t expected to be drafted, the Sixers own four of the draft’s final 28 selections, which gives them the flexibility to take an untraditional route in extracting value from their late picks.
Such late selections typically have a low probability of yielding a contributor, so using them in a manner that would be favorable to one of their max free agents wouldn’t come with great opportunity cost. This is strictly speculation, as the team’s plan with its second-rounders is unknown. All that appears certain is that the Sixers will look to use their first selection on a player who can contribute from day one.
Southeast Notes: Wizards, Hayes, Heat, Draft
The Wizards will work out six prospects on Wednesday, according to the team’s website. Bryce Brown (Auburn), Harry Froling (Marquette 2018), Jessie Govan (Georgetown), Frank Howard (Syracuse), Anthony Lee (Kutztown), and Myles Stephens (Princeton) will all participate in drills for Washington.
Here’s more from around the Southeast Division:
- The Heat have invited Jaxson Hayes for a workout, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. However, the big man has no plans to visit Miami, as he’s expected to be selected before the Heat pick at No. 13.
- Charles Cooke has worked out for the Heat, Jackson writes in the same piece. Cooke, who went undrafted out of Dayton in 2017, is in play for the team’s summer league team.
- The Heat gave Duncan Robinson a $250K guarantee and Yante Maten a $100K guarantee in their respective contracts with the team, Jackson relays (same piece). Both players have trigger dates down the line that would bring additional guaranteed salary.
- The Magic have worked out Cameron Johnson (UNC) and Kris Clyburn (UNLV), according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link). Orlando has the Nos. 16 and 46 overall picks in the draft.
Dwight Powell Addresses Option Decision
Dwight Powell has until June 29 to decide what he wants to do with the player option on the final year of his contract. Yahoo! Sports previously reported that the big man would decline that $10.26MM option and hit the open market. However, Powell addressed that report today and didn’t exactly confirm it.
“I did not have any conversation prior to that article coming out with whoever wrote it. So I don’t know where the information came from. I didn’t have any conversation with anybody about that,” Powell said via Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News.
There was speculation among NBA observers and insiders that, despite apparently planning to turn down his option, Powell intended to sign a new contract with a lower annual salary but more overall money. There’s still a chance that Powell goes that route.
“There’s no place I would rather be than Dallas,” Powell said. “I think I have done everything to show that I love it here. This team gave me my shot. They’ve treated me extremely well, as an athlete and as a man. I love the Dallas Mavericks.”
If the Mavericks intend to carve out salary cap space for a max contract player, they’ll need to make at least one or two moves. The team is currently projected to have roughly $29.3MM in available space if Powell opts in. Working out an arrangement with Powell that lowers his annual salary is just one of the ways that Dallas can create additional cap space, as Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors recently detailed.
Pacific Notes: Barnes, Suns, Rajakovic, Kings
Harrison Barnes can hit the open market if he turns down his $25.1MM player option and the Kings would like to have him on the roster next season one way or another. If Barnes stays with Sacramento, it could be an indicator that the organization is on the upswing after years of perceived dysfunction, Jason Jones of The Athletic writes.
Kings’ management envisioned Barnes playing the small forward position when they traded for him at last season’s deadline. Dave Joerger had different plans, playing Barnes heavy minutes at the four spot next to Bogdan Bogdanovic at the three. Barnes at power forward also took time away from Marvin Bagley and made it more difficult for the rookie to rise to the starting lineup. Joerger has since been fired.
The Kings are hoping that their switch to Luke Walton as well as a renewed alignment between the coaching staff and front office will be viewed favorably around the league, particularly with agents. Here’s more from around the Kings and the Pacific Division:
- The Suns are closing in on hiring OKC assistant Darko Rajakovic, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets. As we relayed earlier today, Phoenix has also pursued Willie Green, who’s currently working as an assistant in Golden State.
- The Kings have brought in six prospects for workouts, according to the team’s website. Jonathan Davis (Charlotte), Fletcher Magee (Wofford), Kouat Noi (TCU), Kris Wilkes (UCLA), Devontae Cacok (UNC Wilmington), and Jessie Govan (Georgetown) all participated in drills.
- Six more prospects will work out for the Kings on Wednesday, per the team’s website. Glynn Watson Jr. (Nebraska), Jon Elmore (Marshall), Justin Simon (St. John’s), Terry Harris (North Carolina A&T), Zach Hankins (Xavier), and Kavell Bigby-Williams (LSU).
Draft Notes: Washington, Konchar, Thomas, McQuaid
Former Kentucky Wildcat PJ Washington is fully healthy and will have his first pre-draft workout on Sunday, Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com relays (Twitter link). The first of his five upcoming visits will be with the Heat.
Here are more workout notes on the upcoming draft:
- John Konchar (Purdue) recently worked out for the Suns and Magic, a source tells Jordan Schultz of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Konchar will work out for the Warriors on June 6.
- Elijah Thomas (Clemson) has worked out for the Pacers, Michael Scotto of The Athletic relays. Thomas will participate in drills for the Wizards on Friday.
- Matt McQuaid worked out for the Pistons and Grizzlies, Rod Beard of the Detroit News tweets. The Michigan State product will also work out for the Cavaliers.
- Amir Coffey (Minnesota) has worked out for the Raptors and Hornets, per Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). Coffey will also work out for the Pelicans and Timberwolves.
Lakers Hiring Lionel Hollins As Assistant Coach
The Lakers will add Lionel Hollins to their staff as an assistant coach, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com tweets. The franchise made it a priority to add head coaching experience under coach Frank Vogel.
Los Angeles hired Vogel as its head coach last month while also adding Jason Kidd as an assistant. Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times reports (Twitter link) that Hollins was under consideration for the team’s head coaching gig but ultimately never interviewed with the Lakers for that position.
Hollins has taken both the Grizzlies and the Nets to the postseason as a head coach. He previously served as an assistant coach with the Bucks, Suns, and Grizzlies (one stint in Memphis and one in Vancouver).
Three Potential Landing Spots For J.R. Smith (And His Valuable Contract)
One year removed from starting Game 1 of the NBA Finals, J.R. Smith sits on the sidelines, a place he has been since November of 2018. The Cavaliers explored trading him during the season, though they were unable to come to an agreement with another club before the trade deadline. A buyout seemed possible, but Smith’s contract, which was signed in 2016, remained a carrot that the team simply could not throw to the streets.
Smith’s 2019/20 salary of $15.68MM is only guaranteed for $3.87MM, Another team that lacks cap flexibility could potentially use his contract to quickly carve out upwards of $18MM in extra cap space, as our own Luke Adams detailed earlier in the season. To maximize those savings, a team would have to use the stretch provision on Smith, a move that would bring his cap hit to approximately $1.29MM.
The latest Collective Bargaining Agreement changed the calculus for salary matching in trades involving non-guarantees. The new rules took away the ability to swap guaranteed salary for non-guaranteed contracts as a means of creating salary cap space.
Had Smith signed under the new agreement, his contract would only count for $3.87MM (the guaranteed portion) for salary-matching purposes instead of his full salary ($14.72 for the 2018/19 season). While other players are currently under high salary deals with low or no guarantees, Smith’s is the only deal remaining from the former Collective Bargaining Agreement that fits that bill.
The Cavaliers have a trade chip that no other team possesses, though the clock is ticking on the asset; Smith’s entire salary for next season will be fully guaranteed if he’s on the roster come July 1. Let’s examine some teams that make sense as suitors.
Trail Blazers
The Blazers are projected to be a taxpaying team, with roughly $126MM in guaranteed salary on the books. The luxury tax threshold is expected to come in at $132MM and the team will have trouble bringing back Enes Kanter and Rodney Hood—two key members of their playoff run—without skyrocketing over the tax line.
Acquiring Smith would allow Portland to reshuffle its financial portfolio. Evan Turner ($18.6MM next season) is the team’s third-high paid player. Maurice Harkless ($11.5MM), and Meyers Leonard ($11.3MM) are fifth and sixth, respectively. If the Blazers feel Kanter or Hood are higher priorities than any of the three, they can swap one of those deals for Smith’s and give themselves a chance to compete for their guys on the free agent market without the internal dilemma of luxury tax concerns.
Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks are expected to be active this offseason, searching the free agent market for additions to the Kristaps Porzingis–Luka Doncic core. They’ve been connected to Tobias Harris, Khris Middleton, and Kemba Walker.
Dallas would probably love to get out from Tim Hardaway Jr.‘s contract (approximately $20MM next season), but the fact that his contract still has multiple years left on it, running through the 2020/21 campaign, makes him a hard sell.
Shedding Courtney Lee ($12.7MM) may be easier and would give Dallas more flexibility this offseason. Dallas could attempt to entice Cleveland with a prospect like Justin Jackson or offer up the No. 37 overall pick in this year’s draft in order to acquire Smith. It’s not clear if anything short of a first-round pick will be enough to pry Smith away from the Cavs.
Brooklyn Nets
Whispers that the Nets are contenders to sign two max free agents can’t get too loud until the team clears out enough cap space to accommodate two stars. As our Salary Cap Digest indicates, Brooklyn doesn’t even have the ability to sign one max free agent without renouncing D’Angelo Russell or making additional transactions.
Moving Allen Crabbe, who has one year and $18.5MM left on his deal, would aid their quest for a star summer. The team has three selections among the first 31 picks in the upcoming draft (No. 17, 27, 31) and attaching one of those picks to Crabbe in exchange for Smith would create a clear path to additional cap space.
Adam Silver Talks Expansion, Politics, Fan Behavior
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver gave his annual state-of-the-league address at Scotiabank Arena ahead of Game 1 He spoke about expansion among a bevy of topics, as Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press relays.
“We are just not in expansion mode at the time,” Silver said. “We’re flattered that other Canadian cities have expressed interest, as some other U.S. cities have, but again, nothing new. I’ve said this before: We, meaning the NBA collectively, all our team owners are very focused on creating the best possible competition among the 30 teams.”
Should expansion occur, Las Vegas and Seattle are likely contenders for teams.
“I’m sure inevitably, at some point, we’ll turn back to expansion,” Silver said. “But that’s not on the agenda at this time.”
Silver touched on the ongoing trade and tariff clash between the United States and China, declaring that he’s “not concerned at this time.”
“Of course, we’re not immune from global politics,” Silver said. “It’s something that we’re paying a lot of attention to. I look, though, to sports — and this is something Yao and I have discussed — where we can use basketball maybe in the way ping-pong was used in the days of Richard Nixon. There could be something called ‘basketball diplomacy.’”
Silver spoke on the Clippers’ situation with the Staples Center and their desire to move to a new arena. The team currently shares its home with the Lakers and the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL.
“I think from a league standpoint, if you had both teams in the playoffs, plus a successful hockey team there, it becomes very difficult for us for scheduling purposes,” Silver said. “So in terms of the overall marketplace and the concert marketplace, I can’t speak to that. But maybe purely out of self-interest for the NBA, it would be helpful to have another arena in town.”
Fan behavior was another topic during the commissioner’s speech. Russell Westbrook was heckled and allegedly received racist taunts by a fan in Utah. Silver said the league did not need to step in because of how the franchise handled the situation.
“We have such tremendous confidence in the Miller family, and Gail Miller as the principal owner, I thought by her taking the court prior to the following game, speaking directly to the people in that community and saying, ‘This does not represent our community,’ I think that was much more powerful than me issuing a statement from all the way across country in the New York,” Silver said. “I think they handled it very well.”
Silver also weighed in on the antics of entertainer Drake, who has sat courtside during many Raptors games this postseason. During the Eastern Conference Finals, Drake wandered from his seat and gave coach Nick Nurse a shoulder rub.
“We certainly appreciate his super-fan status, and I know he’s beloved in the community of Toronto,” Silver said. “I think certainly we don’t want fans, friend or foe, contacting an NBA coach during a game.”