Eastern Notes: Knicks, Wizards, Pistons
Carmelo Anthony doubled down today on his belief that the Knicks should have a broad coaching search, adding as he spoke in an appearance with Frank Isola of the New York Daily News on SiriusXM NBA Radio that team president Phil Jackson hasn’t consulted him for his input on the coaching job. The Knicks reportedly didn’t reach out to Tom Thibodeau, who was apparently Anthony’s preferred choice, and Anthony told Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com he thinks Thibodeau would have taken the Knicks job if offered (ESPN Now link).
“I’ve said this and I’ll continue to say it, there needs to be a process,” Anthony said to Isola. “As long as there’s a process and you go through the proper channels to figure out exactly what you need to do, I don’t have no problem with that. But if you don’t go through that process and at least look to see what’s out there, then we have a problem with that.”
See more on the latest ‘Melo drama amid news from the Eastern Conference:
- Anthony defended the triangle offense when he went on The Dan Patrick Show today, Begley points out (Twitter link), and he said in his SiriusXM spot that his goal is to retire with the Knicks and that he believes in Jackson, as Isola notes in the same piece. Still, Anthony made it clear that he feels he has no choice but to ride with the Zen Master, Isola relays. “I have to. My fate is in his hands,” Anthony said. “I have to believe in him. If I believe that I’m going to be here, I don’t have anybody else to kind of put my fate in.”
- The Wizards made a strong push to acquire Pelicans stretch four Ryan Anderson via trade at the deadline in February, but Washington didn’t want to give up the first-round pick that ultimately wound up going to Phoenix in the Markieff Morris deal, according to TNT’s David Aldridge. Morris is under contract for three more seasons while Anderson is set to hit free agency this summer.
- The Pistons will target a big man who can shoot, and backup point guard is a major need, too, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. Coach/executive Stan Van Gundy confirmed in a press conference today that finding a backup point guard will be a priority, notes Rod Beard of The Detroit News (Twitter link).
Rockets Rumors: Howard, Terry, Coaching Job
Houston hasn’t ruled out trying to re-sign Dwight Howard, but whom the Rockets select as coach will go a long way toward determining whether they pursue a continued partnership with the former All-Star center, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Howard would reportedly prefer to remain with the Rockets, but at least four other teams appear to be more likely options at this point. Houston’s choice of a head coach for next season and the system that coach runs will influence Howard’s choice, according to Feigen. See more on Howard in the wake of Wednesday’s season-ending loss:
- Howard refused to talk about his future after Houston’s playoff elimination Wednesday night, notes Sam Amick of USA Today, who passes along noteworthy comments Howard made last month about the Magic, who’ve since emerged as an apparent co-favorite to sign him this summer. “To this day man, Orlando has always been special to me,” Howard said of his original NBA home. “Each city, the city grows on me so much because, like I said, I’m a people person and I’m always out in the community. I start to develop relationships, even with people at the smallest places. The Waffle House, stuff like that. … When you leave, it’s like anything. You’re like, ‘I miss this,’ and ‘I miss that.’ And Orlando was a place that I think about all the time. I basically grew up there, and I had so many friends there and stuff like that. I just hate how the situation [his departure from Orlando] happened, just the way that it was perceived. I totally hated that.”
- Scott Brooks was a candidate for the Rockets coaching job, but he wasn’t a favorite, according to Feigen, who writes in the same piece. Marc Stein of ESPN.com heard Brooks and Jeff Van Gundy were the two front-runners for the Houston gig shortly before Brooks took the Wizards job instead.
- Van Gundy is the likely “starting point” for the Rockets’ coaching search, but owner Leslie Alexander wants to be certain that Van Gundy, who hasn’t been an NBA coach since parting ways with the Rockets in 2007, would update his offense, Feigen writes.
- Jason Terry on Wednesday expressed high hopes of re-signing with the Rockets when he hits free agency this summer, and he reiterated his intention to play again next season despite having interviewed a few weeks ago for the head coaching job at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, notes Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston (Twitter link). The Rockets would consider re-signing Terry if they can’t otherwise fill the role he played for the team this year, Feigen writes within a slideshow, so that would indicate Terry isn’t a priority for Houston.
Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Dallas Mavericks
The salary cap puzzle for the Mavericks this summer depends largely on three player options worth more than $30MM. Chandler Parsons will almost certainly decline his to seek more on the open market, and Dirk Nowitzki has said he plans to opt in as long as the Mavs don’t start a rebuilding project. Deron Williams is undecided, though his is the smallest of the options. A Williams opt-in would nonetheless make it a tight squeeze for the team to sign a player for the middle-tier max of roughly $25MM, presuming the Mavs also re-sign Parsons. Here’s a look at the numbers for the Mavs as owner Mark Cuban and president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson prepare for the summer ahead.
Guaranteed Salary
- Wesley Matthews ($17,145,838)
- Devin Harris ($4,227,996)
- J.J. Barea ($4,096,950)
- Justin Anderson ($1,514,160)
- Jeremy Evans ($1,227,286)
- (Maurice Ndour $437,318) — Salary remaining from release via stretch provision
- (Gal Mekel $315,759) — Salary remaining from release via stretch provision
- Total: $28,965,307
Player Options
- Chandler Parsons ($16,023,000)
- Dirk Nowitzki ($8,692,184)
- Deron Williams ($5,621,026)
- Total: $30,336,210
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- JaVale McGee ($1,403,611)
- Salah Mejri ($874,636)
- Total: $2,278,247
Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)
- Dwight Powell ($1,180,431/$1,180,431)
Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)
- Chandler Parsons ($19,969,950) — Pending player option
- Dirk Nowitzki ($12,500,001) — Pending player option
- Zaza Pachulia ($9,880,000)
- Raymond Felton ($7,505,595)
- Deron Williams ($6,454,769) — Pending player option
- David Lee ($2,502,805)
- Charlie Villanueva ($980,431)
- Total: $59,793,551
Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Knicks, David Blatt Meet About Coaching Job
THURSDAY, 9:37am: Berman and Isola both refer to the meeting as an interview, and Mills was present, Berman writes. It was more than just a courtesy visit, according to Berman, who nonetheless maintains Blatt is a long shot for the job. A person close to Blatt believes a scenario is in play that would allow him to become the Knicks lead assistant under Rambis, Isola reports, postulating that such a move would make Rambis an easier sell to owner James Dolan. Still, Blatt and the Knicks discussed only the head coaching position Monday, a source told Berman. The Lakers reportedly plan to interview Blatt for their head coaching job, too.
WEDNESDAY, 10:09am: David Blatt met Monday with Knicks team president Phil Jackson about the team’s coaching job, league sources tell The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). It’s uncertain whether the visit was merely a perfunctory engagement, and it’s not entirely clear whether it constituted an interview, as the Knicks were involved in a back and forth over the definition of an interview in the wake of Jackson’s recent discussion with Luke Walton. Still, Marc Berman of the New York Post previously reported that the team had been in contact with the former Cavs coach, whom Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com first identified as a candidate the Knicks are considering.
Jackson met Tuesday with agents who represent both him and interim coach Kurt Rambis, according to Berman, who hears Rambis remains the favorite for the job. Still, Blatt’s adaptability holds appeal to Jackson, who respects the Princeton offense the coach has employed at times, as Berman previously wrote. Blatt would also be willing to run the triangle, one executive said to Berman. Blatt and Knicks GM Steve Mills have a deep connection that dates to their days as teammates at Princeton. Blatt was an usher at Mills’ wedding, according to Berman.
New York’s coaching search has been narrow, with little chatter about anyone beyond Rambis, Blatt and Walton. Carmelo Anthony has publicly called for the team to at least listen to candidates other than Rambis. Frank Isola of the New York Daily News heard Anthony preferred Tom Thibodeau, who’s since become the coach and chief front office executive for the Timberwolves. Jackson was nonetheless disinterested in Thibodeau, and the Knicks didn’t contact him, Begley reported.
Rockets Get Permission To Interview Luke Walton
The Rockets have received permission from the Warriors to interview Golden State assistant coach Luke Walton for the head coaching job in Houston, sources told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated (Twitter link). Jeff Van Gundy appears to be the top target for the Rockets, who are out of the playoffs after Wednesday’s loss. Interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff will receive consideration for the formal head coaching job, and his players and bosses like him, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com, who nonetheless adds that the team didn’t win enough for Bickerstaff to feel comfortable about his position. The players have been aware of Bickerstaff’s temporary status and know the team intends to go after marquee names as it plays the field for a coach, The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
Golden State also gave the Lakers permission to interview Walton. He already spoke with Knicks president Phil Jackson, though both sides insisted that wasn’t an interview. Walton is reportedly expected to meet with Kings GM Vlade Divac. The 36-year-old Walton has a window to interview with suitors for the next few days as Golden State awaits its second-round playoff opponent.
Whoever coaches the Rockets next season will face a challenge to turn around a team that disappointed this year after a run to the Western Conference finals in 2015. James Harden and Dwight Howard “hated each other,” Wojnarowski tweets, though Howard is expected to opt out of his contract this summer, and the two have consistently praised each other publicly.
“Ultimately it’s his decision but, you know, obviously we love big fella here,” Harden said when asked about the specter of Howard’s free agency, according to The Vertical’s Michael Lee (Twitter link).
The chemistry between Harden and Howard is “cordially bad,” as one source described it to Watkins. Rockets owner Leslie Alexander and GM Daryl Morey anticipate that Harden will give input on the choice of the next coach, but Howard is not expected to influence the team’s decision, according to Watkins.
Lakers Plan To Interview David Blatt
The Lakers plan to interview David Blatt for their coaching vacancy, sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com, who writes within a story on the Warriors granting the Lakers permission to interview assistant Luke Walton. L.A. is also interested in Doug Collins, Stein reveals, additionally confirming the team’s interest in Kevin Ollie.
Blatt, the ex-Cavs coach, apparently met Monday with Knicks president Phil Jackson about New York’s coaching vacancy, and the Kings have reportedly reached out to him about their job, too. The 56-year-old Blatt has less than two seasons of NBA experience at any level, though he put up an 83-40 regular-season record with the Cavs, who fired him in January, just seven months after he coached them in the finals.
Collins, 64, has been an ESPN broadcaster since the end of his coaching stint with the Sixers in 2013. He’s 442-407 in parts of 11 seasons with the Bulls, Pistons and Wizards as well as Philadelphia.
The Lakers have strong interest in Ollie, Stein hears, and that appears to be mutual. The 43-year-old has never been an NBA coach but won an NCAA title at Connecticut and was an NBA player for 14 seasons, the last of which with Oklahoma City, where he was teammates with 2016 free agent Kevin Durant and 2017 free agent Russell Westbrook.
Jeff Van Gundy, Ettore Messina, Jeff Hornacek, Roy Williams, John Calipari, Jay Wright and Tom Izzo are others in whom the Lakers have interest, according to previous reports. The Lakers would like to make a hire before the draft and want their next coach to be able to attract marquee free agents, as Sean Deveney of The Sporting News reported earlier this week and as Stein confirms.
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript
4:05pm: We hosted the weekly live chat.
3:00pm: The Lakers made a decision Sunday that seemed inevitable at times this season but had appeared less likely in recent weeks, dismissing oft-criticized coach Byron Scott. Thus, the Lakers joined the Kings and Knicks among the teams looking for a coach, a group that could include the Rockets soon. All will be hard-pressed to do as well as the Warriors did two years ago when they hired Steve Kerr, who won this year’s Coach of the Year award, but Golden State’s position atop the NBA hierarchy looks as precarious as it has all season with Stephen Curry‘s health in doubt. We can discuss all this and more in today’s chat.
Offseason Salary Cap Digest: New York Knicks
The Knicks will once more go big-game hunting in free agency this summer, though whether they’ll have the cap flexibility necessary to sign maximum-salary free agents, most of whom will cost upward of $25MM for next season, depends in large measure on what Arron Afflalo and Derrick Williams decide to do with their player options. New York could alternatively create room by offloading Jose Calderon, as we note below. As Hoops Rumors continues its look at each’s team salary cap situation for the season ahead, here are the numbers in the books that team president Phil Jackson and GM Steve Mills will tend to:
Guaranteed Salary
- Carmelo Anthony ($24,559,380)
- Robin Lopez ($13,219,250)
- Jose Calderon ($7,708,427)1
- Kristaps Porzingis ($4,317,720)
- Kyle O’Quinn ($3,918,750)
- Jerian Grant ($1,643,040)
- Total: $55,366,567
Player Options
- Arron Afflalo ($8,000,000)
- Derrick Williams ($4,598,000)
- Total: $12,598,000
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Tony Wroten ($1,050,961)
Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)
- Langston Galloway ($2,725,003/$2,725,003)
- Cleanthony Early ($1,180,431/$1,180,431)
- Totals: ($3,905,434/$3,905,434)
Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)
- Arron Afflalo ($9,600,000) — Pending player option
- Derrick Williams ($5,280,000) — Pending player option
- Kevin Seraphin ($3,376,800)
- Lance Thomas ($2,127,895)
- Lou Amundson ($2,126,119)
- Sasha Vujacic ($980,431)
- Total: $23,491,245
Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000
Footnotes:
- Waiving Calderon via the stretch provision, a maneuver that’s been the subject of much speculation, would reduce his salary for next season to $2,569,475.
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Coaching Rumors: Bickerstaff, Messina, McHale
Interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff will be among the coaches the Rockets consider as they seek to formally name a head coach after the season, and he and his staff have the respect of the team’s players, writes Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com. Bickerstaff, who took over for the fired Kevin McHale once the team started 4-7, was unable to win at the rate most expected of the Rockets coming into the season, Watkins notes, suggesting that’ll be a stumbling block to the removal of his interim tag. Still, owner Leslie Alexander nonetheless praised Bickerstaff’s winning record of 37-34 during the regular season, and the playoff berth the Rockets snagged on the final night of the regular season was apparently a significant help to Bickerstaff’s chances. Alexander and GM Daryl Morey anticipate James Harden having a role in the team’s decision, though Dwight Howard, whom the Rockets expect to opt out, is unlikely to have a say, according to Watkins.
See more coaching news from around the NBA:
- The Lakers will give Spurs assistant Ettore Messina strong consideration for their coaching vacancy if they can’t land Warriors assistant Luke Walton, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com hears (Twitter links). L.A. has asked for and received permission from San Antonio to interview Messina, a one-time Lakers assistant, according to USA Today’s Sam Amick.
- Multiple people have told Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee that McHale isn’t fond of California, casting doubt on the idea that he’d take the Kings coaching job, though Jones cautions that he isn’t entirely sure whether McHale indeed holds a low opinion of the location (Twitter link). The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported last week that McHale was on the fence about whether to interview for the gig, though Stein wrote more recently that McHale and the Kings have had exploratory talks.
- A close friendship with new GM Scott Layden, the potential of Minnesota’s roster and a belief that Glen Taylor is committed to winning are reasons Tom Thibodeau cited to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune as he spoke about his decision to become coach and president of basketball operations for the Timberwolves. Thibodeau said that having the dual coach/executive title the Wolves gave him wasn’t a make-or-break element to the deal. “It wasn’t an absolute must, but I’m glad it has worked out that way,” Thibodeau said. “I just wanted to make sure I had a voice. The person I’m with, I trust Scott. He has great integrity. He’s a great worker and he has great experience.”
Magic, Bucks, Blazers, Hornets In Lead For Howard?
The Magic, Bucks, Trail Blazers and Hornets are the favorites for Dwight Howard in free agency this summer, as Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com writes within a broader piece on the Rockets, Howard’s current team. Houston has long expected Howard to turn down his $23.282MM player option for next season in search of a max deal that would pay him about $30MM next season, and Howard and fellow Rockets star James Harden have a chemistry that one team source described to Watkins as “cordially bad.”
Howard would prefer to re-sign with the Rockets but would entertain the idea of returning to the Magic, his first NBA team, as Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher heard. Howard told Bucks play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson he wanted the Rockets to trade him to Milwaukee at the February deadline this year, Johnson said. The Hornets and Rockets had exploratory trade talks about Howard before the deadline, and Howard played under Charlotte head coach Steve Clifford when he was an assistant. This is the first reported link between Howard and Portland this year.
The 30-year-old former All-Star is known for indecisiveness regarding contract matters in the past, so it would be no shock if this list of front-runners undergoes drastic changes between now and July, when he can sign a contract with a new team. Howard was a client of agent Dan Fegan during his split with the Magic and one-year Lakers tenure, but earlier this year he dropped Fegan in favor of Perry Rogers, Shaquille O’Neal’s rep.
Chandler Parsons publicly campaigned Tuesday for Howard to join him on the Mavericks, but the Mavericks don’t want to give Howard a deal approaching the max, and Dirk Nowitzki, who’s spoken openly about potential free agents in the past, declined comment when asked about the possibility of Howard in Dallas, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com.
The Magic are in line to have no shortage of cap room this summer, with enough flexibility to sign two max free agents. Portland doesn’t have quite that much but still has more than enough flexibility to afford a max contract for Howard, even with Damian Lillard‘s max extension kicking in. The Bucks would likely have to perform some cap gymnastics to accommodate Howard, since they already have close to $62MM in guaranteed salary committed against a projected $92MM cap. Charlotte only has about $46MM on the books, but that doesn’t include any money for soon-to-be free agents Al Jefferson, whom Howard would likely replace if he were to sign with the Hornets, or Nicolas Batum.
Regardless, it appears Howard would face a difficult atmosphere if he were to return to Houston next season. One source close to the Rockets told Watkins that Howard lost the respect of his teammates, though a Rockets player who spoke with Watkins offered a dissenting view. Harden and Howard have spoken about their on-court issues and Harden paid for Howard’s birthday dinner earlier this season, but the high-scoring guard feels Howard is too distracted and doesn’t demand the ball enough, according to Watkins. Howard doesn’t feel Harden respects him and solicits the opinions of former teammates about what he can do to fix that, as Watkins details.
What’s your best guess as to where Howard ends up? Leave a comment to share your idea.