Nuggets’ Connelly To Meet This Weekend With Wolves Owner
Nuggets president Tim Connelly will meet with Timberwolves majority owner Glen Taylor regarding the top executive position within Minnesota’s organization, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Connelly has already discussed the position extensively with minority owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez and an in-person meeting with Taylor is next in the process, Wojnarowski adds (Twitter links).
As Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune tweets, Lore and Rodriguez have significant influence over the process, but Taylor has to sign off on any deal.
Reports regarding Minnesota’s interest in Connelly surfaced on Wednesday. He has been the head of Denver’s basketball operations since 2013, when he was named vice president of basketball operations and general manager. He was promoted to president in 2017.
Connelly is the first external candidate to be officially linked to the lead basketball job in Minnesota’s front office. Executive vice president of basketball operations Sachin Gupta, who has been serving as the head of the basketball operations department on an interim basis following the dismissal of Gersson Rosas in September, remains a candidate for the position.
Lore and Rodriguez have pushed to have a proven, prominent exec take over the basketball operations, regardless of the cost. The Nuggets have been aware of Minnesota’s interest in Connelly for some time and don’t appear poised to make a major counter-offer, Mike Singer of the Denver Post tweets.
Pacific Notes: Looney, Payton, Iguodala, Ham, Stotts
Warriors center Kevon Looney, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, continues to pump up his value. Looney, who grabbed 22 rebounds in the clinching win over Memphis, delivered one of the top performances of his career during Golden State’s Game 2 comeback against Dallas on Friday night.
He had 21 points, 12 rebounds and no turnovers in 32 minutes while holding whoever he was guarding, including Luka Doncic, to 1-for-11 shooting, ESPN’s Kendra Andrews notes.
“Playing center for the Warriors, it’s a different type of job from other teams,” Looney said. “A lot of the scoring and stuff, we don’t really need us to do. It’s a lot of screen setting and a lot of play-making and doing different things. For me to have a game like that is cool.”
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- It doesn’t seem as if the Warriors’ Gary Payton II or Andre Iguodala will play in the Western Conference Finals, though both are making “progress,” the team’s PR department tweets. Recovering from a left elbow fracture, Payton has started to do light individual on-court activities and will be reevaluated in one week. Iguodala, who has missed nine games due to a disc injury in his neck, is also doing light individual on-court activities along with physical therapy and weight room training. His status will be updated when he rejoins team practices.
- An Athletic report on Friday suggested that Bucks assistant Darvin Ham has emerged as the top candidate for the Lakers’ head coaching job. The Athletic’s Jovan Buha believes Ham is the right choice, stating Ham is long overdue for an opportunity to be a head coach. He also has ties to the organization as a former assistant coach there, a championship pedigree and is well-respected by players, Buha adds.
- The Orange County Register’s Kyle Goon takes a look at the three reported finalists for the Lakers’ job, a list that also includes Kenny Atkinson and Terry Stotts. Goon believes Stotts is the most likely to find ways to make Russell Westbrook more effective but also notes that Stotts’ teams often flamed out early in the postseason.
Central Notes: Murray, Sharpe, Pistons, Bulls, Irving
The Pistons fell from the No. 3 slot to No. 5 in the draft lottery. If Iowa’s Keegan Murray drops to that spot, the Pistons could take him, James Edwards III of The Athletic writes. The Hawkeyes forward is a player that intrigues Detroit.
As Edwards details, Arizona swingman Bennedict Mathurin is another player that has caught the Pistons’ attention and Kentucky’s Shaedon Sharpe, who didn’t play college basketball this past season, could slot in well next to Cade Cunningham in the backcourt.
We have more from the Central Division:
- It’s doubtful that the Pistons will trade out of the No. 5 spot, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com opines in his latest mailbag. Moving up from that spot would be costly and trading down or out of the lottery for an established player is unlikely for a team building around younger pieces. However, it’s conceivable they could add another lottery selection at No. 7 in a deal with Portland involving Jerami Grant.
- The Bulls hold the No. 18 pick and Sam Smith of Bulls.com takes a look at five wing players that might be available at that spot, including Kansas’ Ochai Agbaji and Ohio State’s Malaki Branham.
- Kyrie Irving admits his immaturity earlier in his career may have cost the Cavaliers additional titles, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Irving made his comments on an I Am Athlete episode. “If I was in the same maturity line and understanding of who I am, and I look back, we definitely, definitely would’ve won more championships, because there would’ve been a better man-to-man understanding about what I’m going through,” he said. “I didn’t know how to share my emotions. I didn’t know how to do that. So instead of sharing, I isolated myself.”
Draft Notes: Jackson-Davis, Washington, Delph, Williamson
Indiana forward Trayce Jackson-Davis tested positive for COVID-19 and did not attend the Draft Combine this week in Chicago, James Boyd of the Indianapolis Star reports.
Jackson-Davis declared for the draft in April while maintaining his college eligibility. He averaged 18.3 PPG, 8.1 RPG and 2.3 BPG last season. Jackson-Davis is currently listed at No. 66 on ESPN’s Best Available list.
We have more draft-related notes:
- Kentucky’s TyTy Washington, who is participating at the combine, says he’ll work out for the Spurs and Pelicans, Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com tweets. The point guard is a potential lottery pick — he’s at No. 16 on ESPN’s list. San Antonio owns picks at No. 9, 20 and 25; the Pelicans have the No. 8 pick.
- Appalachian State guard Adrian Delph will remain in the draft and has hired an agent, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports tweets. Delph averaged 17.7 PPG and 5.4 RPG while making 39.8% of his 3-point tries last season.
- Wake Forest Daivien Williamson has withdrawn from the draft and will return to the Demon Deacons, according to another Rothstein tweet. Williamson averaged 11.8 PPG last season.
Southwest Notes: Pelicans Pick, Kidd, Rockets Draft, Dinwiddie
The Pelicans already have the look of perennial playoff contender and now they’re armed with the No. 8 pick. Who will they take? Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune takes a closer look at five potential targets, including Arizona’s Bennedict Mathurin, Wisconsin’s Johnny Davis and Baylor’s Jeremy Sochan.
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- The Mavericks were fined $50K by the league for bench decorum violations during Game 7 at Phoenix, which baffled coach Jason Kidd, Tim MacMahon of ESPN tweets. “I know about the fine. Just trying to figure out what we did wrong to get the fine,’ he said. “Who complained? It was a blowout, so I don’t think the fans complained.”
- Who will the Rockets target with the No. 3 pick? GM Rafael Stone is more concerned about what a player can’t do than what he can do, as he told Kelly Iko of The Athletic. “You can only play five guys, and the league is moving towards less positionality. It’s fine to have players with redundant strengths,” Stone said. “I do think it’s hard if they have redundant weaknesses. And players aren’t perfect, you know, so you’re definitely going to have players with weaknesses. I think that is something that you have to be careful with.”
- One of the reasons why the Mavericks have reached the Western Conference Finals is the mid-season acquisition of guard Spencer Dinwiddie in the Kristaps Porzingis deal with Washington. Luka Doncic doesn’t downplay its significance, Marc J. Spears of Andscape writes. “He is amazing with the ball,” Dončić said. “He can do a lot of things. He’s a baller. That’s the best way to describe him. We’re glad to have him.”
Northwest Notes: Cronin, Blazers Pick, Gobert, Bogdanovic, Presti
Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin didn’t hide his disappointment over the lack of luck in the draft lottery, according to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. Cronin called it a “mini-gut punch” when Portland wound up with the No. 7 pick.
“Then you say, ‘OK, we’ve got work to do,” said Cronin, who is unsure whether he’ll retain the pick or look to deal it. Cronin is now at the draft combine.
“We’ll get through this week and get through the interviews and see the guys play, and get the medicals,” he said.
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- Given that the Trail Blazers‘ stated intention of returning to playoff contention next season, dealing their lottery pick is the most likely scenario, Jason Quick of The Athletic opines. If they don’t make a trade, Shaedon Sharpe — who practiced but didn’t play for Kentucky this past season — could be the pick if he’s still on the board. It’s also a probability they’ll restart talks with the Pistons regarding a potential Jerami Grant deal, Quick says.
- There are no untouchables on the Jazz roster, but league sources indicate that if they deal one of the All-Stars, it would more likely be Rudy Gobert than Donovan Mitchell, Sarah Todd of the Deseret News writes. Outside of that duo, Bojan Bogdanovic is the biggest trade asset the team possesses despite his age, Todd adds.
- The Thunder wound up with the No. 2 and No. 12 picks in the first round. GM Sam Presti said it could come down to the wire what they’ll do with those selections, according to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. “We don’t really even finalize those (ratings) until a little bit before the draft, to be honest with you,” Presti said. “They’re always changing.”
Southeast Notes: Magic Pick, Wizards Pick, Ball, Hawks
The Magic probably won’t stray from conventional wisdom when it comes to the top overall pick, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (hat tip to RealGM). They’ll either select Chet Holmgren or Jabari Smith Jr.
“This is the draft lottery of the power forwards and three very different players,” Wojnarowski said. “We’ll see how this shakes out, but certainly I think Chet Holmgren of Gonzaga and Jabari Smith of Auburn… I think the consensus right now is those are really the two players competing for No. 1 with the Magic.”
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- The Wizards are unlikely to trade up in the lottery, due to the high cost of doing so, but they could use the No. 10 pick to facilitate a trade for a veteran point guard, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. However, they have a history of holding onto their first-rounders in recent drafts.
- With top exec Mitch Kupchak signing an extension, the Hornets‘ biggest task will be hiring a head coach who can get more out of LaMelo Ball, Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer opines. Ball must get much better on defense and cut down on his habit of committing unnecessary fouls.
- Rudy Gobert would be the kind of impact player that could lift the Hawks to new heights. What would the cost be? A package of Clint Capela, De’Andre Hunter, Jalen Johnson and their first-rounder this June would be the bare minimum, according to The Athletic’s John Hollinger. Utah would also likely ask for multiple future first-rounders. Hollinger and Chris Kirschner explore the Hawks’ potential trade, free agent and draft targets.
Deveney’s Latest: Thybulle, Horton-Tucker, Nunn, Draft
The Bulls have strong interest in young Sixers forward Matisse Thybulle, sources told Heavy.com’s Sean Deveney.
Bulls GM Marc Eversley, a former Philadelphia executive, was instrumental in pushing the Sixers to acquire him in the 2019 draft, Deveney notes.
While Thybulle’s vaccination status stirred some angst within the Sixers organization during the postseason, it was his spotty 3-point shooting that rendered him a non-factor, despite his defensive reputation.
The Sixers could try to create some wiggle room under the luxury tax but that type of trade would likely require a third team.
Here’s more from Deveney:
- The Lakers tried to package Talen Horton-Tucker and Kendrick Nunn in trades this past season but didn’t get an enticing offer. They could revisit that scenario, even though they’re reluctant to attach their next available first-rounder in 2027. One league exec tossed out the names of Duncan Robinson, Malik Beasley and Christian Wood as the type of player they could get in return.
- The Magic won’t trade the top pick unless they get the No. 2 or 3 pick as part of the package, but the Thunder and Rockets are open for business regarding the other top three selections.
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 5/19/2022
The transcript of our weekly Thursday live chat can be found here.
Our next live chat, with Luke Adams, will take place on Tuesday at noon Central time.
Mavs Notes: Carlisle, Doncic, Dinwiddie, Harrison
Former Mavericks coach and current Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said in a radio interview with 105.3 The FAN that Luka Doncic is destined for multiple Most Valuable Player awards (hat tip to Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News).
“I don’t have any question in my mind that there will be multiple MVPs in his future,” Carlisle said. “There will be championships in his future. He has a real, great, natural sense for the moment.”
We have more on the Mavs:
- Doncic and the Mavericks have advanced their timetables, Tim Cato of The Athletic writes. Doncic has solidified his place as one of the league’s premier players with his playoff dominance and the Mavericks have become a true title contender in the process.
- Spencer Dinwiddie benefited financially from the team advancing to the Western Conference Finals. He collected a $571,427 bonus, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets.
- Mavs president of basketball operations and general manager Nico Harrison said it’s not time to get complacent after knocking out the top-seeded Suns from the playoffs, Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News writes. “I can sit back and think about it in August. Heck, I want to keep playing,” Harrison said. “This is time to get greedy. It’s not time to be complacent and kind of look back at your accomplishments. This is the time to be focused. When you make it to this point, it’s time to take it to another level.”