Stein’s Latest: Lue, Suns, Cavaliers
Marc Stein’s newsletter is a must-read for all NBA fans and this week’s piece for The New York Times is filled with insight on this offseason’s coaching hires, among other nuggets. Here are the highlights from the piece:
- Tyronn Lue, who is set to become the Lakers next coach, was not the unanimous first choice among the organization’s decision-makers, Stein hears. Some within the franchise worried about Lue aiding LeBron James‘ influence within the Lakers and Lue’s supporters were forced to wait until Monty Williams, who was hired by the Suns, was no longer available.
- It appears Suns owner Robert Sarver wants to continue to have the loudest say over the team’s basketball operations. Sarver brought in Jeff Bower as an advisor this offseason without giving the executive any real decision-making power, Stein writes.
- Phoenix hired Williams as its head coach in part because the front office hopes he can give the Suns a “strong voice and presence,” Stein adds. The organization envisions Williams establishing a winning culture and an improved reputation around the league.
- The Cavaliers want to hire a young head coach who embraces analytics in an attempt to replicate Brooklyn’s rebuild under coach Kenny Atkinson and Atlanta’s setting with Lloyd Pierce. You can find our Cavaliers’ page here with the latest on their ongoing coaching search.
Latest On Paul George, Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook and Paul George have begun the offseason by taking steps to recover from their respective injuries, as the Thunder pass along in a team press release.
Westbrook underwent surgery to repair ligament damage in his left hand. The 2016/17 MVP played the final six weeks of the season with the non-shooting hand injury. Westbrook also had a procedure on his right knee today and is expected to be sidelined for approximately three weeks.
George had elective surgery on his right shoulder to repair a partial tendon tear, per the team. The veteran forward will have another procedure on his left shoulder in the following weeks. He’s expected to miss at least the start of Oklahoma City’s training camp, Adrian Wojnarowski and Royce Young of ESPN.com relay.
George also played with his ailment as the season winded down. According to the ESPN duo, the Thunder went 11-12 after George suffered the injury.
Marc Gasol Undecided On Future With Raptors
New addition Marc Gasol is fitting in with the Raptors, though this could be his only season with the club. The 34-year-old has a player option on his deal worth approximately $25.6MM for the 2019/20 campaign and he has yet to make a decision on his future.
“We’ll see when we get there,” Gasol said (via Yaron Weitzman of Bleacher Report). “It would be pointless for me to say anything now. Not because I’m hiding anything, but I would be lying, it’s just impossible to know. We’ll have to see what makes sense for everyone. You can’t weigh things on a scale before you have everything to weigh. I much rather focus on the present and make the most of it.”
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The center didn’t ask for his trade to the Raptors but the team has grown on him.
“It’s really well-run,” Gasol said. “All first class.”
Gasol still misses Memphis, the place where he began his NBA career as a second-round prospect. The Grizzlies weren’t in a position to compete at a championship level when they dealt his brother, Pau, to the Lakers and acquired him in exchange for a package that originally brought the younger Gasol to Memphis. They likely won’t sniff contention in the near future, which was part of the reason they made the decision to send Gasol north at this year’s trade deadline.
According to Weitzman, Gasol and Mike Conley assured Grizzlies owner Robert Pera that they could turn around the franchise’s fortunes with some help. However, the team was on the verge of missing the playoffs for the second straight season and Pera could clearly see the writing on the wall. A few weeks later—just hours before the trade deadline—Pera called Gasol to tell him that the Grizzlies and Raptors had completed a deal.
Raptors GM Masai Ujiri also spoke with Gasol on February 7. The executive told Gasol that Toronto was “going for it” – in reference to a title – and he believed Gasol could help.
Toronto’s path to a championship has never been clearer. LeBron James is no longer in their way. Kawhi Leonard, who is reportedly warming up to the idea of staying in Toronto, is arguably having the best postseason for any player in franchise history.
Gasol’s arrival gave the Raptors something they were missing. Among other things, it gave them a big man who could battle in the post with the likes of Sixers star Joel Embiid. “[Gasol has] changed who we are,” coach Nick Nurse said. Gasol recognizes the impact that he can make without being the core of the offense.
“We’re not talking about something negative here,” Gasol said of being traded. “As you get older, you understand that this is a game, that we’re fortunate to have a great life. It’s just something impactful.”
Summer Of “Seismic Change” Coming For Warriors?
The Warriors are on a quest to win three-straight championships and while the team remains focused on achieving that goal, internally, the franchise is preparing for a summer of change.
“Internally in Golden State, there’s a sense of let’s try to put aside what’s coming in July,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on the network’s show Get Up! (h/t Tyler Conley of Bleacher Report). “Let’s try to keep our focus there and win the title, then let July play out the way it’s going to. But I think the Warriors are bracing for possibly seismic change within that organization,”
Klay Thompson is unlikely to switch teams as long as the Warriors present him with a five-year, max deal.
“If they come with a five-year, $190MM max deal for Klay Thompson, that’s done on July 1—he’s going into the new building with Steph Curry,” Woj said.
Many teams will pursue Thompson if the shooting guard does not receive that offer from Golden State. The Lakers will surely have interest in Thompson, but Wojnarowski names the Clippers as the bigger Los Angeles threat to sign the five-time All-Star.
The Clippers are one of a few teams that will have the ability to carve out two max slots. The Knicks are another franchise expected to chase a pair of superstars and Kevin Durant has been regularly linked to the Big Apple.
“I don’t know if there’s a lot of talking that has to happen between the Warriors and Kevin Durant,” Wojnarowski said. “I think he knows what it is, what he wants, and there may be nothing the Warriors can do or say to change that.”
Jazz, Ricky Rubio Facing Critical Point
Ricky Rubio will be an unrestricted free agent and the Jazz have a tough decision to make regarding his future. Although Rubio has been a solid floor general for the franchise, Utah has appeared to hit its ceiling with him playing alongside Donovan Mitchell.
“We want to move the group forward,” GM Dennis Lindsey said at season’s end (via Jody Genessy of the Deseret News). “And while we have a very good team, the results told us that we don’t have a great team.
The Jazz attempted to take a step forward and deal for Mike Conley at the trade deadline, but ultimately didn’t complete the much-rumored move.
“Unfortunately,” Lindsey said, “a team leaked something and it was unethical.”
Rubio landed in Utah during the 2017 offseason and the Jazz have made the postseason in each of his two seasons with the team. They were able to win a playoff series during that stretch, but ran into the Rockets each spring and proved to be a notch below the top tier in the Western Conference.
Rubio tried to stay positive as he heard his name on the rumor mill. The point guard admitted that hearing the team’s trade talks impacted his mindset.
“I play with heart, and you go out there and you want to play with heart, but you don’t know if tomorrow you’re going to be here,” Rubio said. “It’s tough. I’m not going to lie. Luckily, it didn’t happen and I ended the season on a good note and I’m happy.”
Assuming the Jazz look to free agency, finding an upgrade on Rubio won’t be easy. The franchise has no immediate replacement on the roster and players like Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker seem unlikely to consider Utah as a destination.
Pairing Mitchell with a point guard who’s a better shooter than Rubio could be a feasible option. Goran Dragic could opt to hit the market. Malcolm Brogdon is a restricted free agent and perhaps the Jazz can take advantage of Bucks’ potential spending trepidation and snatch the efficient play-maker.
Utah could have upwards of $39MM in salary cap space, though that’s an unlikely figure as it would require the team to renounce the rights to Rubio and let go of Derrick Favors, whose $16.9MM contract for next season is non-guaranteed.
The Jazz believe Rubio can improve on his game and Lindsay said there are “a lot of scenarios” in which he could see the point guard return for his third season with the team.
“We really appreciate who he is and we think we can get him better from a health perspective and skill standpoint. We know who he is,” the executive said.
Bucks’ Success May Dictate Team Temperature on Luxury Tax
This season may be Milwaukee’s best chance at a title, as the team has many players set to hit the open market in free agency this summer. Sources tell Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com that ownership’s willingness to go deep into the luxury tax may be dependent on how far the Bucks advance.
Khris Middleton is likely to turn down his player option and hit the market. Malcolm Brogdon will be a restricted free agent. Brook Lopez will almost certainly want a raise on his one-year, $3.38MM deal. And Nikola Mirotic, who the team added at the trade deadline, will pursue a new contract as well.
The Bucks are not against becoming a taxpaying team. They have to do everything they can to surround Giannis Antetokounmpo with a strong supporting cast and give him every reason to sign a super-max extension once he’s eligible next summer. However, if the team with the best record in the league can’t get past the fourth-seeded Celtics, the decision to go deep into the luxury tax becomes a tough one.
The first of their many offseason decisions will likely involve Middleton, and Bontemps writes that the shooting guard is likely to see max contract offers. The Mavs reportedly will be among the teams looking to poach him from Milwaukee.
Central Notes: Pacers, Jackson, Pistons
The Pacers haven’t advanced to the second round of the playoffs since the 2013/14 season when Paul George led a defensive-minded team to the Eastern Conference Finals. Owner Herb Simon badly wants that to change and he’s willing to spend to make it happen, Scott Agness of The Athletic writes.
“Herb wants to win. We set a budget. It’s a very high budget,” GM Kevin Pritchard said. The Pacers ranked 25th in payroll last season and they have just over $57.9MM in guaranteed salary on their books for the 2019/20 season.
Here’s more from around the Central Division:
- Malcolm Brogdon is listed as out for Friday’s Game 3 between the Celtics and Bucks, ESPN relays. Brogdon has been sidelined with plantar fasciitis in his right foot.
- The point guard position will be among the Pistons‘ needs this offseason, as Keith Langlois of NBA.com details. Reggie Jackson only has one year left on his current deal, while Ish Smith and Jose Calderon are each hitting the free agent market.
- How the Pistons‘ approach and prioritize additions this offseason will depend on how the front office feels about their young prospects, Langlois contends in the same piece. The team will have the mid-level exception at its disposal and could opt to use the projected $9.246MM MLE to sign multiple players instead of spending it all on one acquisition.
Cavs To Interview Nuggets Assistant Jordi Fernandez
The Cavaliers have requested and been granted permission to interview Nuggets assistant Jordi Fernandez for the team’s head coaching gig, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com passes along.
Cleveland is being respectful of the Nuggets’ playoff run and an exact date for the interview has not yet been set. The Cavs have long viewed Fernandez as a candidate for the position, a source tells Fedor.
[RELATED: Five Key Offseason Questions: Cleveland Cavaliers]
Fernandez is the second candidate on Denver’s staff that the Cavs have requested permission to interview. The club is also expected to meet with Wes Unseld Jr. at some point.
Former Grizzlies coach J.B. Bickerstaff interviewed for the Cavs’ position on Tuesday and Jazz assistant coach Alex Jenson will interview with the team on Friday. Mavs assistant Jamahl Mosley is expected to get another interview during the next wave after he had an impressive meeting with the team last week.
Spurs, Rudy Gay Have Mutual Interest In New Deal
Rudy Gay has transitioned from a top-flight scorer to a veteran mentor ready to take on whatever role is best for the team. The combo forward has been particularly helpful with the Spurs‘ young prospects.
“He’s a very outgoing individual,” coach Gregg Popovich said (via Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News). “He’s an easy teammate to be with, so he makes people feel comfortable. For young guys just starting out like Lonnie [Walker], it’s important to see the vets and be able to sit down and have a meal with them and laugh. [Gay] does that well.”
Gay appreciates how the organization has treated him and his family, and likes the city of San Antonio, Orsborn writes. Gay will be a free agent this offseason, but both he and the Spurs have a mutual interest in a new deal.
“We are hoping we can figure out a way to keep him here,” Popovich said.
San Antonio has a reputation for cohesiveness even as the franchise shuffles its roster. Gay said he has never experienced a unit as close as this year’s Spurs team.
“We had a lot of new pieces, played through a lot of adversity, the media saying we weren’t going to the playoffs,” he said. “We played through a lot. That forced us to be a tight team.”
Moe Harkless Sprains Ankle, Questionable For Game 3
Maurice Harkless underwent an MRI on his right ankle and the results confirmed that it’s a sprain, as the Trail Blazers‘ Twitter feed relays. Harkless is questionable for Game 3 against the Nuggets.
The combo forward played in 60 games for Portland this season, starting 53 of those contests. He’s started in every game for the Blazers this postseason, averaging 9.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks in the six games leading up to Game 2, in which he suffered the injury.
Harkless, who made approximately $10.8MM this year, has one year left on the four-year, $40MM deal he signed in July of 2016. That was the offseason when the NBA’s cap spiked, paving the way for many players to sign lucrative deals that today appear outlandish. Harkless’ pact seems like one of the most team-friendly deals among those signed during the shopping-spree summer.
Jake Layman, who started 33 games this year, came out with the rest of the first unit to begin the second half in Game 2 on Wednesday. Layman, Rodney Hood, and Seth Curry are among those who could see additional minutes if Harkless misses time.