Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 5/2/2023
The transcript of our weekly Tuesday chat can be accessed here.
Join Luke Adams for our next live chat on Thursday.
Randle, Brunson, Butler All Questionable For Game 2
Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson are both listed as questionable to play on Tuesday in Game 2 of the Knicks’ second-round series against the Heat, the Knicks’ PR department tweets.
It’s a mixed bag for New York, which trails 1-0 in the series. Randle, who is nursing a sprained left ankle, missed Game 1. His status give the Knicks hope he’ll return to action sooner rather than later. Randle only played 16 minutes in the closeout game against Cleveland on April 26 when the ankle flared up.
The Brunson prognosis, a sore right ankle, is a little more troubling. He played 40 minutes on Sunday and scored 25 points but missed all seven of his 3-point attempts and committed five turnovers. Brunson blamed himself for the loss, calling his performance “terrible.” The Knicks’ offense will be greatly impacted if their floor leader can’t go.
Heat forward Jimmy Butler is also listed as questionable for Game 2 due to a sprained right ankle, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald tweets. Butler scored 25 points in 43 minutes but only attempted one shot after rolling the ankle with just over five minutes remaining.
Miami has already lost third-leading scorer Tyler Herro for the remainder of the postseason due to a broken right hand suffered in Game 1 of the first-round series against Milwaukee.
Nets Coach Jacque Vaughn Won’t Retain Three Assistants
Nets coach Jacque Vaughn is shaking up his coaching staff, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
Igor Kokoskov, Brian Keefe and Tiago Splitter will not be retained. Kokoskov, the former Suns head coach, is the most notable name in that group. He joined the staff last offseason after a stint with the Mavericks.
Keefe was added to the Nets’ staff in the summer of 2021. He was recently under consideration for the Pistons’ head coaching opening. Splitter, a former NBA center, has been on the Nets’ staff since April 2018.
Brooklyn was knocked out in the first round of the playoffs by Philadelphia.
Vaughn took over as the Nets’ head coach following Steve Nash‘s dismissal in November and had his interim label removed about a week later. Vaughn inherited Nash’s assistants and will now surround himself with a staff of his choosing.
Vaughn agreed to a multi-year extension in February that is expected to keep him under team control through the 2026/27 season.
The three coaches that Vaughn is letting go will likely land on their feet soon. There are a number of teams undergoing coaching changes, which will open up more assistant jobs around the NBA as the new head coaches assemble their staffs.
Kings Notes: Sabonis, Fox, Barnes, Monk, Murray, Mitchell
Domantas Sabonis may need surgery for the avulsion fracture in his thumb, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee tweets. The Kings center had an appointment with hand specialists on Monday to discuss whether the thumb needs to be repaired.
While he mends, Sabonis is open to hearing from the front office about potential moves. He said that if general manager Monte McNair and assistant GM Wes Wilcox have questions for him about roster construction, he will provide his input, James Ham of The Kings Beat tweets.
We have more on the Kings:
- De’Aaron Fox will take lessons from his first playoff series, Jason Jones of The Athletic writes. Fox feels he and his teammates have to improve in order to become true contenders. “I know there’s another level I have to get to as a professional and our team has to get as well,” he said. “I’m grateful for this experience. The playoffs are everything that I expected it to be.”
- Harrison Barnes and Trey Lyles are among the players headed to unrestricted free agency. Malik Monk hopes the front office can keep the core group intact, Ham tweets. “I would love to have the same guys here because we’re all like brothers,’ Monk said.
- Sabonis is eligible for an extension this offseason but it’s unlikely he’ll agree to one, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks explains. The big man could get an additional four years and $122MM without a renegotiation but the extension is $132MM less than the five-year deal he could sign with the Kings after becoming a free agent next summer. It would also be $65MM less than a four-year max with a rival team that has cap space.
- In order to acquire another high-level player, the Kings may have to deal Keegan Murray and/or Davion Mitchell, Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype opines in his offseason primer.
Lakers Notes: James, Curry, Davis, Bamba, Russell, Roster
The playoff matchup between the LeBron James-led Lakers and Stephen Curry-led Warriors should be a thriller. James has great respect for what Curry, who scored 50 points on Sunday to close out the Kings, has accomplished, Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes.
“[Curry] puts in the work,” James said. “And when you put in the work, nine times out of 10 you’re going to see the results. And he’s done that throughout his whole, entire career. I have nothing but the utmost respect for Steph and everything he’s been able to accomplish, not only on the floor but also off the floor, too. It’s just great to have people like that in this league to set an example for the generation to come.”
James says that Curry presents an imposing defensive challenge for the entire team.
“You’ve seen some of the shots, the routine shots, that Steph was making in Game 7 that everybody was going crazy after,” James said. “That’s just Steph. When you’re that great, you make tough shots like that. So, we’ve got to be locked in and not hurt ourselves.”
We have more on the Lakers:
- The team comes into the second round in relatively good health. James (right foot soreness) and Anthony Davis (right foot stress injury) are listed as probable for Game 1 on Tuesday, Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Mohamed Bamba (left ankle soreness) is listed as questionable.
- D’Angelo Russell, who will be a free agent after the season, poured in 31 points when the Lakers knocked out the second-seeded Grizzlies in Game 6. Performances like that could enhance Russell’s chances of re-signing with the team, Joe Vardon of The Athletic writes. The Lakers are reportedly not interested in signing Kyrie Irving and reuniting him with James.
- Thanks to the changes made in-season, the new-look Lakers have all the pieces in place to win the championship, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer opines. The club now has shot creators who can provide a spark and take pressure off of James and Davis.
Western Notes: Murray, Brown, Gordon, Jokic, Suns
Jamal Murray‘s offensive skill was on full display in Game 1 of the Nuggets’ second-round series with the Suns, as he poured in 34 points. After missing last season due to a knee injury, Murray is all the way back, Tony Jones of The Athletic writes. He’s a three-level scorer, which makes him extremely difficult to contain.
“My mindset wasn’t coming back to be the same player,” Murray said. “My mindset was coming back and being a better player than I was. The biggest thing I had to do was build my body back up, not necessarily the skill. It was a lot of work, almost every day. But, I just wanted to get back to playing the way I thought I could. I didn’t want to get too high or low.”
We have more from the Western Conference:
- While Murray erupted offensively, Bruce Brown and Aaron Gordon were the stars on defense in Game 1, Mike Singer of The Denver Post notes. Gordon was the primary defender on Kevin Durant, while Brown made three steals and generally disrupted the Suns’ offensive flow.
- Nikola Jokic averaged a career-high 9.8 assists during the regular season. His teammates learn quickly they need to be prepared for Jokic’s distribution skills, Jason Quick of The Athletic writes. “He sees the game a couple steps before it even happens,” Gordon said. “They are things that nobody else sees. So we know to be ready, and keep our hands ready, and he’s going to hit us in the oven.”
- Suns coach Monty Williams doesn’t expect his team to commit 16 turnovers again in Game 2 on Monday night, which led to 18 Denver points. “We’ve always been really good at making the right read right away,” Williams told Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “I thought we were delayed and hesitant in that. I think we’ll do a lot better (Monday).”
Pacific Notes: Curry, Looney, Lyles, Durant
Stephen Curry delivered a huge knockout blow by scoring 50 points in Game 7 against the Kings on Sunday. The Warriors were down 0-2 in the series and failed to close it out at home in Game 6 but they still advanced to face the Lakers in the second round, Kendra Andrews of ESPN relays.
“We’re defying the odds by still playing at this high of a level,” the Warriors’ superstar guard said. “I know everybody wants to see you fail. That’s kind of the nature of where we’re at right now. We love when we still prove a lot of people wrong. It’s part of our vibe now.”
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- Kevon Looney is once again coming up huge in the postseason after re-signing with the Warriors laat summer on a new three-year contract. Golden State’s big man supplied 11 points and 21 rebounds in the Game 7 triumph, the third time in the series he grabbed 20 or more rebounds. Coach Steve Kerr heaped praise on Looney afterward, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. “I think Loon is one of the best centers in the league, I really do,” Kerr said. “People don’t recognize it because he’s not dunking, shooting threes, and all that stuff, but this guy is a flat out winner, he’s a machine, and we wouldn’t be here without him.”
- Kings forward Trey Lyles averaged 6.6 points and 5.7 rebounds in 18 minutes per game during the series. Lyles is headed to unrestricted free agency but he’d like to stay put, James Ham of The Kings Beat tweets. “This is the most at home I’ve felt of any team I’ve been on,” said Lyles, who has also played for Utah, San Antonio, Denver and Detroit.
- Kevin Durant was disappointed in himself for making seven turnovers in the opener of the second-round series against Denver on Saturday. However, Durant isn’t fretting about the Suns falling behind in the series, according to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic (video link). “It’s just like any other game, to be honest. It’s not that deep,” he said. “On the road, we want to try to get one of the first two games here. Just look at the film and see what we can do better.”
Draft Notes: Sanogo, Jackson, Tshiebwe, Bates, Droppers
Adama Sanogo and Andre Jackson Jr. were two key contributors to UConn’s national championship season. Both players have been invited to the NBA Combine in Chicago in May. Adam Zagoria tweets.
Jackson, a combo guard, is a potential first-rounder. He’s currently ranked No. 30 on ESPN’s Best Available list. Despite a stellar college career, Sanogo may have to open some eyes during the pre-draft process in order to get drafted. He’s currently ranked No. 87.
We have more draft-related items:
- Kentucky’s star big man Oscar Tshiebwe hasn’t ruled out returning to college but he’s got a number of workouts lined up, Zagoria adds in another tweet. Tshiebwe has already scheduled workouts with the Celtics, Bucks, Rockets and Kings. He averaged 16.5 PPG and 13.7 RPG this past season and is currently ranked No. 66 on ESPN’s list.
- Will guard Emoni Bates get drafted? The Athletic’s Shams Charania, John Hollinger and Brendan Quinn explore that question. Bates averaged 19.2 PPG and 5.8 RPG in 30 games with Eastern Michigan after a tumultuous freshman campaign with Memphis. Bates catches scouts’ attention with his high-level shot-making but doesn’t offer much else, according to The Athletic trio. He’s ranked No. 56 by ESPN and No. 78 by The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie.
- What do Illinois’ Coleman Hawkins, Houston’s Marcus Sasser and Arizona’s Azuolas Tubelis have in common? They are some of the players who have seen their draft stock decline heading into the combine, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto.
Northwest Notes: Reid, McDaniels, Finch, Jazz Contracts
Re-signing big man Naz Reid is a major offseason priority for the Timberwolves, Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes. Heading into unrestricted free agency, Reid averaged a career-high 11.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game this season.
“I think we’re going to be an organization that’s going to reward guys that do right by the organization,” Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said. “He came here, he got himself in better shape, he’s gotten better each and every year, and we’re fingers crossed that he’s going to be here for a long, long time. … We’ve been working pretty hard to try to figure out something long-term for Naz.”
The Timberwolves hold Bird rights on Reid, who suffered a left wrist fracture late in the season.
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels fractured his right hand in two places during the team’s regular-season finale, costing the Wolves a valuable defensive-minded rotation player entering the playoffs. McDaniels punched a wall in frustration that day and now he’s kicking himself for hurting the franchise, as Hine relays. “I made a dumb mistake,” he said. “I wish I could take it back. But, afterwards, there was nothing I could do. So I was just mad. Mad for my teammates. I know they were probably upset, too. … I just need to learn how to control my emotions better throughout the game.”
- Timberwolves coach Chris Finch believes the team wilted under increased expectations following last summer’s Rudy Gobert blockbuster acquisition, according to The Athletic’s Jon Krawcyznski. “I think we found life a little different just with the weight of expectations after the Rudy trade,” Finch said.
- Contract options will play a major role in the Jazz‘s offseason, Eric Walden of the Salt Lake Tribune notes. Only $3MM of Kelly Olynyk‘s $12.2MM contract for next season is guaranteed. Utah will have to decide what to do with the veteran big man by June 28. Jordan Clarkson, Talen Horton-Tucker, Rudy Gay and Damian Jones each hold player options for 2023/24, totaling approximately $35MM.
Grizzlies Notes: Adams, Brooks, Bane, Offseason
Grizzlies center Steven Adams didn’t play after January 22 due to a knee injury, but the team is hopeful he’ll be ready to go in October, Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal tweets.
“The target for Steven Adams is to return at the beginning of next season,” Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman said. Adams signed a two-year, $25.2MM extension last offseason that kicks in next season.
We have more on the Grizzlies:
- Dillon Brooks didn’t have any trouble talking to LeBron James during the first-round series but he got fined by the league for not talking. He was docked $25K for violating league rules governing media interview access, the league’s communications department tweets. The fine stemmed from Brooks’ failure to participate in team postgame media availability during the first round.
- Brooks did meet with the local media on Sunday and expressed no regrets for trash talking, including called James “old,” Cole reports. “No, that’s who I am,” Brooks said. “I don’t regret it. I’m a competitor. I compete.” Kleiman was noncommittal on Sunday when asked about Brooks’ future with the franchise. The veteran forward is an unrestricted free agent this summer.
- Regarding that issue, Mark Giannotto and Cole believe it’s best if the Grizzlies let Brooks walk. Both Commercial Appeal reporters feel the club should re-sign Brooks only as a last resort after exploring many other options to upgrade the wing spot.
- What should the Grizzlies do this offseason after their first-round flameout? Yossi Gozlan of Hoops Hype and Bobby Marks of ESPN both explore that topic, including how much Desmond Bane could receive in an extension.