Spurs Add Martin, King To Johnson’s Staff
The Spurs have hired Tim Martin and Scott King as assistant coaches under Mitch Johnson, according to a team press release.
As previously reported, Sean Sweeney has been named the team’s associate head coach and Corliss Williamson has also joined the staff as an assistant.
Martin will serve as an assistant coach/player development, bringing more than 15 years of experience as an NBA skills trainer since 2008.
King led San Antonio’s G League affiliate, the Austin Spurs, to a Western Conference Finals appearance as head coach last season. He was named G League Coach of the Year. Before his time in Austin, King spent five seasons on the Knicks’ staff.
Sweeney had been an assistant under Jason Kidd with the Nets and Bucks as well as the Mavericks. Sweeney’s name has frequently popped up when head coaching jobs have come open but he has yet to land one of those coveted positions.
Williamson, a former NBA forward, spent the past two seasons as an assistant for the Timberwolves.
Rounding out the staff, Jimmy Baron and Josh Brannon have been promoted to assistant coach/player development as well. Rashard Lewis has joined the Spurs’ player development staff, while Andrew Weatherman will serve a coaching analyst and Madison Clower will have the role of player development analyst.
Lewis, who had a 16-year career as an NBA player, previously served as an assistant coach with the Pistons during the 2022/23 season.
Central Notes: Green, Kell-Abrams, Portis, Giannis
Javonte Green fits right into the Pistons’ identity after establishing a reputation as a hard-nosed defender with versatility, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes.
The Pistons signed Green to a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract, filling the 14th spot on the 15-man roster. He’ll compete for minutes at the wing positions and could also be utilized as an undersized power forward. Green is a superior rebounder and shot-blocker for his size.
On the offensive end, Green’s dynamic athleticism stands out, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press notes. He will add another above-the-rim threat that already has a few in the rotation.
Green’s minimum-salary deal would pay him $2,874,436 if he earns the full amount. For now, the contract is partially guaranteed for $925K, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- The Cavaliers are hiring Eli Kell-Abrams as the head coach of their NBA G League affiliate, the Cleveland Charge, Scotto tweets. Kell-Abrams spent the past two seasons as a video coordinator for the Trail Blazers. He has also had stints with the Sixers and Heat organizations.
- While there’s still speculation about Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s future, Bucks teammate Bobby Portis doubts the superstar will ask the front office for a trade. Portis made his comments during an interview with ESPN Milwaukee (hat tip to Josue Pavon of ClutchPoints). “I talk to Giannis all the time. That’s my teammate,” Portis said. “Giannis bleeds green. That’s all I can say.” Portis also believes Milwaukee is still a true contender in the East, feeling recent postseason flops have been due to injuries. “I mean, what’s wrong with our team? Why can’t we do it this year? The only thing wrong with us is people being hurt,” he said. “We win the championship. 2022 came in and we go down. We lose Game 7 to Boston. 2023, first round, Giannis tries to dunk on K. Love, comes down, hurts his back. We don’t have big fella. 2024, Giannis hurts his leg against the Celtics in the regular season and then, doesn’t play another game. Then, coming back this year, we haven’t been really healthy. I don’t make excuses but that’s just what the tables was for us.” A video link to the interview can be found here.
- The Bulls are reportedly turning down trade inquiries involving Coby White. Get the info here.
Southeast Notes: Jaquez, Highsmith, Wizards Roster Imbalance
The Heat added Simone Fontecchio, Kasparas Jakucionis and Norman Powell this offseason while moving on from Kyle Anderson, Alec Burks, Haywood Highsmith, Kevin Love and Duncan Robinson.
Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. believes it’s going to take a while for the team to build chemistry, considering all the roster moves.
“It’s starting to become the reality,” Jaquez said, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “I think your rookie year, you go through it and it’s an adjustment. Now your second year, I think you really start to understand what it means to be in this business. Guys that you’ve built a relationship with are no longer going to be there. It’s definitely going to be an adjustment period, but we’re just really excited to get new guys and have this new team and try to win games.”
Jaquez had a disappointing second season as his playing time declined. He’s focused on securing a rotation spot once again.
“Just going back and watching some film,” Jaquez said. “I think that’s a big one. Just remembering what it was that put me on the floor, what it was that got me to this position. Just kind of leaning into my strengths, as well as working on things that I need to work on like shooting and defense. And just bringing it all together as a whole, I think is one of the biggest things for me this offseason.”
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- While the Heat valued Highsmith, it was more essential for the franchise to get under the luxury tax, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel explains in his latest mailbag. Highsmith was dealt to the Nets this week in what can be classified as a salary dump. Given where the Heat are in the Eastern Conference pecking order, it would be hard to justify them being a tax team and risk paying repeater penalties going forward. The move also opens up more playing time for some of the younger players on the roster.
- The Wizards‘ roster is top-heavy with wings while having few traditional bigs or point guards. Josh Robbins of The Athletic believes the roster imbalance is not a big concern for the Wizards front office. Their aim is to bring in as many high-upside players as possible and then develop them into solid pros, while hoping one of them becomes a franchise player and a couple others can reach All-Star level production.
- The Hawks gave an offer sheet to a restricted free agent on Saturday. Get the details here.
Doncic Gets Injury Scare During Slovenian Exhibition Game
2:23pm: Doncic has a right knee contusion, Marc Stein tweets. He’ll remain with the Slovenian national team and compete in EuroBasket, Woike tweets.
1:30pm: Lakers superstar Luka Doncic apparently avoided a serious injury after a Slovenian teammate landed on his right leg during an exhibition game on Saturday, Dan Woike of The Athletic tweets.
Early in the second half, Gregor Hrovat fell on Doncic’s knee during a defensive play, according to Eurohoops.net. Doncic was able to head to the locker room on his own power but did not return to the game. Doncic, who scored 26 points against Latvia during the first half, did return to the bench to watch his Slovenian teammates collect a 100-88 victory.
It remains to be seen how this will impact Doncic’s status for the EuroBasket tournament. Slovenia is scheduled to play its tourney opener against Poland on Aug. 28. They’ll also face France, Belgium, Iceland and Israel.
Doncic signed a three-year max extension with the Lakers earlier this month.
Clippers Sign Jason Preston To Camp Contract
The Clippers have signed guard Jason Preston to a training camp contract, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets.
Preston was an early second-round pick by the Clippers in 2021 after a stellar college season at Ohio University. However, he never truly found his footing at the NBA level, partly due to injuries.
Preston was on the Jazz’s roster early last season as a two-way player but was waived in November after suffering a calf strain.
A 6’4″ point guard, Preston missed his entire rookie season with a right foot injury and was cut ahead of the 2023/24 season after appearing in 14 NBA games in ’22/23.
Preston began the 2023/24 season with the Memphis Hustle, the Grizzlies’ G League squad, then caught on with the Jazz in January on a two-way deal. He spent the rest of that season shuttling between the NBA roster and the Salt Lake City Stars, Utah’s NBAGL affiliate. He only appeared in one G League regular season game last season.
Across 21 career NBA contests with the Clippers and Jazz, Preston has averaged 2.5 points, 2.0 assists and 1.9 rebounds per game.
According to our roster count tracker, Preston will be the 20th player on the Clippers’ camp roster. Assuming he signed an Exhibit 10 deal, the 26-year-old would be eligible for a bonus worth up to $85,300 if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with the G League’s San Diego Clippers.
Rookie Alex Toohey Believes He’s Perfectly Suited For Warriors
Second-round pick Alex Toohey believes he’s a perfect fit for the Warriors, even though he remains unsigned. Toohey, a 6’8” Australian forward, was selected with the No. 52 pick in the draft.
He notes that Andrew Bogut spent a chunk of his career in the organization and Luc Longley played for the Bulls in the 1990s when Steve Kerr also wore a Chicago uniform. Those Aussies are part-owners of the Sydney Kings. Toohey played for the Kings in Australia’s National Basketball League for the last two seasons.
“The list of teams that were interested in me, I think I got the best of the lot,” Toohey told Olgun Uluc of ESPN. “Obviously [there’s] the Australian connection there, and the way they play, it’s something I think I’ve learned a lot before even knowing I’m going to be a Warrior: learning how they play, studying their schemes, their offenses and defenses.”
Despite his draft position, Toohey believes he can make an immediate impact. First, the Warriors have to officially add him to either the 15-man or two-way roster. Toohey is one of the remaining unsigned second-rounders, due to the ongoing saga involving restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga.
Golden State has essentially frozen its roster until the Kuminga situation is resolved. The Warriors are looking to maximize their cap flexibility and don’t want to lock in certain roster spots or create a hard cap before determining what will happen with Kuminga.
Toohey got an NBA education during Summer League play. He appeared in six games last month and averaged 6.8 points and 3.8 rebounds in 21.6 minutes per contest. He shot just 26.2 percent from the field.
“It was tough,” Toohey said. “The athleticism is obviously another level, and the pace of the game. Especially the Warriors; we had one of the highest-paced offenses. And it felt like that. We’d be pretty gassed after a few minutes of getting up and down. We felt that wore teams down, and that put us in some games we maybe shouldn’t have been in. That’s definitely one part of it.
“Then, figuring out that: I got drafted for a reason. They obviously see things in me, and believe in me, so it’s just finding that internal confidence and being able to make a play in transition, or make a three when it comes your way.”
Atlantic Notes: Simons, Jokubaitis, Sixers TV Schedule
The Celtics have been seeking out a trade partner for Anfernee Simons but haven’t had any success, Grant Afseth reports for FastbreakJournal.com.
The cost-cutting club shed Jrue Holiday and his three-year contract in exchange for Simons this offseason. Simons has averaged 19.9 points and 4.5 assists per game with a .436/.381/.901 shooting line over the past four seasons for Portland.
Simons has an expiring $27.7MM contract and there’s been speculation since the trade was made that Boston might flip him. Last week, the Celtics traded Georges Niang to Utah and are now operating about $4MM above the first tax apron and $12MM above the luxury tax line. Dealing Simons could help them move out of the apron and take another step toward escaping the tax entirely.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- Draft-and-stash player Rokas Jokubaitis, whose rights are owned by the Knicks, has joined Bayern Munich on a three-year deal, according to a Bayern press release. Jokubaitis, a second-round pick in 2021, has seven years of EuroLeague experience. He played last season for Maccabi Tel Aviv, averaging 12.6 points per game in the EuroLeague, after three years with FC Barcelona. “Rokas is still so young, one of Europe’s biggest talents, yet he has already established himself as one of the leading point guards in the EuroLeague,” Bayern Munich’s sporting director Dragan Tarlac said.
- For the first time in four seasons, the Sixers were excluded from the league’s annual Christmas slate. They also don’t have a national TV game during opening week or Martin Luther King Jr. Day. That comes as no surprise, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. They wound up tanking due to injuries last season and won only 24 games. While they lucked out in the lottery and selected VJ Edgecombe, the Sixers need Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey to stay relatively healthy. Alarm bells went off when George underwent knee surgery last month. He will be reevaluated prior to training camp.
- In case you missed it, the Nets are taking a hard-line approach with restricted free agent Cam Thomas. Get the details here.
Community Shootaround: Eastern Conference Favorites
Looking at the Eastern Conference, two teams stand out among the pack – at least in the betting lines.
In the NBA futures odds posted by FanDuel for next year’s championship, the Cavaliers (+750) and Knicks (+800) are the clear favorites.
That seems to be more of a process of elimination, rather than those teams dramatically improving this offseason.
The Celtics have spent the offseason shedding salary since star forward Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles during the playoffs.
Another perennial playoff contender, the Bucks, lost Damian Lillard in similar fashion and then waived him, allowing them to sign free agent Myles Turner. However, the oddsmakers peg them just eighth among Eastern Conference teams with even Boston ahead of them.
The defending conference champions, the Pacers, sit below both of them after losing Turner, as well as star guard Tyrese Haliburton for all of next season due to his Game 7 Achilles tear.
The Magic (+1700) rank third in the conference, followed by the Hawks (+3000), Sixers (+3500) and Pistons (+4000).
The merits of the favorites are obvious. Cleveland won 64 regular season games but couldn’t get past Indiana in the postseason. New York suffered a similar fate in the conference finals.
The Knicks made a head coaching change, but otherwise the rosters of the two conference favorites remained pretty much intact.
Orlando was snake-bit by injuries last season but have two star forwards in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. The Magic made arguably the biggest trade among Eastern teams this offseason, adding Desmond Bane to their backcourt. The Hawks also made a major deal, acquiring Kristaps Porzingis to upgrade their frontcourt.
That brings us to today’s topic: Do you agree with the oddsmakers that the Cavaliers and Knicks are the top teams in the East? If not, which team or teams do you believe can challenge them for conference supremacy?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Western Notes: Topic, Beal, Abdelfattah, Holsopple
Nikola Topic, a 2024 lottery pick, spent his entire first season in the NBA rehabbing a partially torn ACL in his left knee that required surgery. The Thunder guard took some positives from his long road to recovery, he told Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman.
“I didn’t play a basketball game for a very long time, and that was really hard,” Topic said. “But as you go through that process, you learn something about yourself that you didn’t know you had. … I took positives from it and learned from it.”
Topic returned to action during the Summer League. He averaged 10.8 points, 5.8 assists and 1.8 steals in 27.3 minutes per game in five appearances.
“I feel more confident,” Topic said. “Going into a game, sleeping before a game and just everything about it, I feel way more confident.”
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- Bradley Beal‘s primary motivation to sign with the Clippers was the opportunity to join another contender. “I need a ring. I want one bad. I feel like I’ve got a new life of rejuvenation, for sure, a new hunger. I’m excited about the opportunity, new city, a new environment but a hungry environment, too,” he told KMOV’s Tamar Sher (video link). After getting bought out by the Suns, Beal signed a two-year, $11MM contract with a player option.
- The Timberwolves are hiring Mahmoud Abdelfattah as head coach of their NBA G League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. Abdelfattah will also be an assistant coach for USA Basketball’s AmeriCup Qualifying Team. He was previously the head coach of Australia’s Sydney Kings.
- The Lakers are hiring Jeremy Holsopple as their new head strength and conditioning coach, Marc Stein of The Stein Line tweets. As the Mavericks’ athletic performance director, Holsopple was named as the NBA’s top strength and conditioning coach in March 2021.
George, Miller Head Canada’s Camp Roster For AmeriCup
NBA players Kyshawn George and Leonard Miller are among the 14-man camp roster unveiled by Canada Basketball for this month’s AmeriCup in Nicaragua, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets. The tournament will take place from August 22-31.
George, the 24th pick of the 2024 draft, appeared in 68 games with the Wizards last season, including 38 starts. The 6’8” forward averaged 8.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 26.5 minutes per game.
The 6’10” Miller, a 2023 second-round pick, has appeared in a combined 30 games off the bench for the Timberwolves the past two seasons.
It’s somewhat of a disappointment that Canada didn’t get a greater turnout from some of their other young NBA players such as Shaedon Sharpe and Bennedict Mathurin, Lewenberg notes, but it will provide a good opportunity for George and Miller (Twitter link). Quincy Guerrier, Kyle Wiltjer, Nate Darling, Charles Bediako and Mfiondu Kabengele are some of the other familiar names on the camp roster.
Nathaniel Mitchell has been named head coach for the AmeriCup, and will be joined by assistant coaches Ashton Smith, Shawn Swords, and Patrick Tatham, according to a Team Canada press release.
Mitchell previously served as head coach at the 2022 FIBA Men’s AmeriCup, where Canada finished fourth in Brazil. Training camp for this summer’s tournament began today in Toronto. Team Canada will hold some exhibition games in Miami prior to the tournament.