MVP Makes Jokic Eligible For Super-Max In 2022
By virtue of winning the Most Valuable Player award, Nuggets center Nikola Jokic will be eligible for the largest super-max extension in NBA history, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).
Jokic would be eligible to sign the super-max contract worth in excess of $240MM in the 2022 or 2023 offseason. He’s not eligible to sign it this summer because he is one year shy of the service year criteria. Jokic is in his sixth season after being drafted in the second round in 2014. A player needs at least seven years of NBA experience to sign a designated veteran extension that starts at 35% of the salary cap.
[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Designated Veteran Extension]
The exact value of Jokic’s next contract will depend on exactly where the 2023/24 cap lands. If the cap is $125MM, the deal would be worth $253.75MM over five years.
Jokic has two years remaining on his current deal — he’ll make approximately $31.6MM next season and $33.6MM in 2022/23.
Central Notes: Joseph, Doumbouya, Bulls, Bucks
Cory Joseph has a partially guaranteed contract for next season and the Pistons could retain him, depending upon how the draft shakes out, Rod Beard of The Detroit News opines in a mailbag post. Only $2.4MM of Joseph’s $12.6MM is guaranteed and the Pistons will have decide whether to give him the full amount prior to free agency.
However, Joseph earned respect with his production and professionalism after being acquired in a mid-season deal with the Kings. If the Pistons draft Cade Cunningham or Jalen Suggs, they’ll probably pass on Joseph’s guarantee. Otherwise, there’s a good chance the Pistons will keep him.
We have more from the Central Division:
- Pistons forward Sekou Doumbouya finished his second season on a high note and next season will be pivotal regarding his future with the franchise, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes. He averaged 11.8 PPG and 4.9 RPG over the final eight games. Doumbouya needs to be in top condition to accentuate his strengths as a cutter in half-court situations and finisher in transition. He also needs to improve his 3-point shooting to gain a rotation spot. Detroit will have to decide by the start of next season whether to pick up the fourth-year option on Doumbouya.
- Even with All-Stars Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, the Bulls have virtually no shot at reaching the top three in the Eastern Conference in the next few seasons, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times writes. Chicago will even have difficulty breaking into the next tier of teams, considering that franchises such as the Hawks and Knicks are on the upswing and the Celtics and Heat are committed to winning.
- Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer says his team needs to have a “short-term memory” after its disastrous outing in Game 2 against Brooklyn on Monday, Eric Nehm of The Athletic tweets. “Whether you get beat by a point or by 40, you have to be ready for Game 3,” he said. “You’ve got to have a short-term memory. You’ve got to get yourself ready, understand what we need to do to go home and win Game 3.”
Pacific Notes: Collins, Ibaka, George, Caruso, Drummond
The Warriors and assistant coach Jarron Collins have mutually agreed to part ways with Collins setting his sights on a head coaching job, Marc J. Spears of ESPN reports. Head coach Steve Kerr indicated last week that there would be changes on his staff.
Collins, 42, joined the Warriors staff prior to the 2014/15 season as a player-development coach and was promoted to assistant coach the following season. He’s been in charge of the defense the last two seasons.
“For me, this is about taking the next journey and next step in my career,” he told Spears. Collins has interviewed for head coaching jobs with the Bulls, Grizzlies and Hawks in recent years.
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- Serge Ibaka has been listed as doubtful to play in Game 1 against Utah on Tuesday and he didn’t even travel with the Clippers to Salt Lake City, Mark Medina of USA Today tweets. Ibaka, who has battled a back injury during the second half of the season, played only 19 minutes in the first round.
- The Clippers needed seven games to get out of the first round and Paul George won’t mind doing the same against the Jazz as long as his team prevails, Mirjam Swanson of the Orange County Register writes. “It’s a marathon,” he said. “We’re not worried about how long it takes to get to what we want to get to. We’ve just got to get it done. We’ve got to be the best team in any seven-game series, that’s just what it comes down to. It’s not going to be easy, and I think (Dallas) did a great job of reiterating that, that this isn’t going to be easy.”
- Re-signing Alex Caruso will be a high priority for the Lakers, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic. The unrestricted free agent could receive a contract in the $12-$13MM per season range, Buha anticipates. It’s unlikely Andre Drummond will be back unless he accepts the veteran’s minimum or one of the team’s exceptions, in Buha’s estimation. The Athletic writer takes a look at all the team’s free agents in the story.
Northwest Notes: Blazers, Lillard, Conley, Barton, Dozier
The Trail Blazers are compiling a list of candidates to replace coach Terry Stotts and the first round of virtual interviews could begin this week, according to Anne Peterson of The Associated Press.
“We’re running a very expansive, diverse search,” Portland GM Neil Olshey said. “We’ll probably have anywhere from 20 to 25 candidates in there with biographical data, background, intel, impact studies, coaching records, playing records, etc., so that we all are speaking the same language as we vet these candidates.”
Olshey won’t reach out to teams or agents requesting permission to conduct formal interviews until he reviews all of that information.
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- Damian Lillard is expected to have a major say in the Trail Blazers’ coaching search and even went public with his affinity for Jason Kidd, who has since pulled himself out of consideration, and Chauncey Billups. However, Lillard is not making demands of any kind when it comes to the coaching hire, Sam Amick of The Athletic reports. He’ll let the front office and ownership handle the search and they’ll communicate with their franchise player during the process.
- Jazz point guard Mike Conley participated in parts of Monday’s practice, Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune tweets. Conley suffered a mild right hamstring strain during Game 5 of the first round against Memphis. The team has listed him as questionable for Game 1 against the Clippers on Tuesday (Twitter link). He averaged 20 PPG and 10.25 APG during the first four games of the playoffs.
- Not only did the Nuggets eliminate the Trail Blazers without Jamal Murray, they were also missing Will Barton (hamstring) and PJ Dozier (adductor). That could change for the second-round matchup with the Suns, coach Michael Malone said to Kyle Fredrickson of the Denver Post. They won’t play in Game 1 on Monday but they have returned to practice. “There is definitely hope and optimism that they will be available at some point during the series,” Malone said.
Tom Thibodeau Named Coach Of The Year
Tom Thibodeau has been named Coach of the Year, according to a league press release.
Thibodeau guided the Knicks to their first postseason appearance since the 2012/13 season. The Knicks finished the regular season with a 41-31 record, ending a string of seven consecutive losing seasons. They were 21-45 last season and 17-65 in 2018/19.
It’s the second Coach of the Year award for Thibodeau, who also earned the honor in the 2010/11 season with the Bulls in his first season as a head coach. No one had previously won the award in his first season with two different franchises.
Suns coach Monty Williams actually received more first-place votes (45) than Thibodeau (43). However, Thibodeau earned 351 total points while Williams had 340 points. The 11-point difference between the first- and second-place finishers was the smallest margin since the voting format was introduced in the 2002/03 season.
The Jazz‘s Quin Snyder finished third with 161 points (10 first-place votes). Four other coaches received votes — Doc Rivers (Sixers), Nate McMillan (Hawks), Steve Nash (Nets), and Michael Malone (Nuggets).
Thibodeau is the first Knicks coach since Pat Riley (1992/93) to win the award.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Spurs Won’t Give Weatherspoon Qualifying Offer
The Spurs won’t extend a qualifying offer to guard Quinndary Weatherspoon, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets. That will make Weatherspoon an unrestricted free agent.
The 2019 second-round selection appeared in 20 games this season, but he only averaged 2.3 PPG in 6.1 MPG. He scored a season-high 13 points against Phoenix on May 15.
The qualifying offer is a modest $1.67MM but the organization has apparently decided Weatherspoon wouldn’t make its roster next season.
Weatherspoon, who played 11 games for the Spurs during his rookie season, was on a two-way contract during his first two seasons in the league. He missed some time this season after being placed under the league’s health and safety protocols.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Eastern Conference
Throughout the season, Hoops Rumors takes a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents this offseason. We examine if their stock is rising or falling due to performance and other factors. With the playoffs in full swing, we take a look at players from the Eastern Conference:
Elfrid Payton, Knicks, 27, PG (Down) – Signed to a one-year, $4.77MM deal in 2020
Payton’s postseason role was reduced to something rarely seen in any sport – the starting lineup cameo. He played a few ineffective minutes, then never returned to the court for two games until coach Tom Thibodeau completely gave up on him. Payton started regularly all season but his post-All-Star break woes drove Knicks fans nuts. They won’t have to worry about a repeat – Payton will be an unrestricted free agent. Payton has been a starter throughout his career but it’s hard to imagine him getting much more than the veteran’s minimum to fill out someone’s bench next season.
Evan Fournier, Celtics, 28, SF (Down) – Signed to a five-year, $85MM deal in 2016
Fournier was the biggest acquisition the Celtics made at the trade deadline and they leaned on him heavily against the Nets with Jaylen Brown sidelined. Fournier averaged 15.4 PPG on 43.3% shooting from 3-point range in 33.4 MPG. Solid numbers, but he’s not the type of player who can carry a team. Fournier is expected to seek a contract similar to the one he signed with the Magic five seasons ago but is he really a $17MM a year player? There’s a general sense that Fournier may have to settle for the mid-level exception or something slightly above that figure.
Duncan Robinson, Heat, 27, SF (Up) – Signed to a three-year, $3MM deal in 2018
Robinson pumped in 24 points in Game 1 against the Bucks, then petered out the rest of the series. That won’t hurt him in restricted free agency. The Heat have to make a lot of tough decisions this offseason – one of them will be how big an offer sheet they’d be willing to match to retain Robinson. First, they’ll have to extend a $4.7MM qualifying offer but that’s a formality. During last season’s playoff run to the Finals, Robinson averaged 11.7 PPG. He’s a career 42.3% 3-point shooter and he’ll be looking for a big payday after playing on a rookie contract.
Alex Len, Wizards, 27, C (Down) – Signed to a one-year, $1.7MM deal in 2020
Len has passed through a handful of organizations over the past four seasons. He’ll be on the move again as an unrestricted free agent. Len received 40 regular-season starts from the injury-depleted Wizards after getting waived by the Raptors. His playing time shrunk throughout the first-round series against Philadelphia – he played a grand total of three minutes in the last two games. Whether or not Thomas Bryant can effectively return from his knee injury next season, Washington needs to upgrade its frontcourt. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Ukranian-born Len explores European options.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Southeast Notes: Westbrook, Evans, Reddish, Huerter, Heat Arena
Russell Westbrook said he’s been embraced by the Wizards organization and the fans in the Washington, D.C. area, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington writes. “It’s been great,” he said. “The city, the team, the coaches; everybody has kind of welcomed me and my family with open arms. That’s all you can ask for.” Westbrook has two more seasons left on his contract. He’ll make $44.2MM next season and holds a $47MM option for the 2022/23 season.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Dr. Katherine Evans has been named VP of research & information systems for the Wizards as well as the G League’s Go-Go and WNBA’s Mystics, according to a team press release. Evans is the first woman to head the research or analytics department of an NBA franchise. Prior to joining the Wizards, Dr. Evans served as the director of strategic research for the Raptors.
- The Hawks could be adding another player to their rotation in the second round. Cam Reddish, who has been sidelined by right Achilles soreness, has progressed to full participation in practices the last two days, including live action, according to a team press release. Following upcoming five-on-five full-court scrimmages, he will be reviewed once again. Reddish has not played since February 21.
- The Hawks ought to lock up Kevin Huerter with a rookie scale extension this offseason, even if he remains on the second unit, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic opines. Huerter’s perimeter shooting and ability to guard multiple positions gives the Hawks plenty of lineup flexibility, Kirschner notes. A contract extension similar to the one Luke Kennard received from the Clippers (worth up to $64MM over four years) would make sense, considering Huerter is a better all-around player, Kirschner adds.
- The Heat will be playing in the same building but it has a new name. After a long run as AmericanAirlines Arena, the Heat’s home will be called FTX Arena, the team tweets.
Steve Clifford Will Not Return As Magic Coach
12:10pm: The team has confirmed the decision via a press release. The statement suggests Clifford may pursue other head coaching opportunities.
“We would like to thank Steve for his contributions to the Orlando Magic,” Weltman said. “We appreciate the many sacrifices he has made as our head coach and understand the timeline of our new path does not align with his goals as a head coach in our league.”
11:45am: The Magic and coach Steve Clifford have mutually agreed to part ways, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.
Clifford has met with management multiple times over recent weeks and the two sides ultimately agreed to move on. Clifford guided the Magic into the playoffs in his first two seasons with a core group that included Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier.
Those players were shipped away at the trade deadline as the organization went into full rebuild mode. A season-ending injury to point guard Markelle Fultz began the chain of events that convinced the front office to hit the reset button.
Clifford compiled a 96-131 regular-season record with the club. Management will obviously be seeking a head coach who can develop young talent and stay patient through the process.
Clifford, 59, coached Charlotte for five seasons before he was hired by the Magic. He had one year left on his contract.
Orlando joins Portland and Boston as teams seeking new head coaches. According to Marc Stein of the New York Times (Twitter link), the Magic are interested in Terry Stotts, who parted ways with the Trail Blazers on Friday.
The recent talks between Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman and Clifford centered on the veteran coach’s long-term future with the franchise.
Orlando’s management was pleased with Clifford and his coaching staff and discussed the possibility of a contract extension, Josh Robbins of The Athletic reports. But with the Magic in the early stages of a rebuild, Clifford wasn’t ready to commit to a longer deal.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Kerr: No Regrets On Wiseman Plan; Changes Coming
Warriors coach Steve Kerr has “no regrets” about the organization’s decision to force-feed lottery pick James Wiseman in the early stages of this season, he told Tim Kawakami of The Athletic in a wide-ranging interview.
After Klay Thompson suffered another season-ending injury prior to the draft, the Warriors brass decided that this season would be “about getting ready for next year in a lot of ways,” Kerr said. Getting Wiseman acclimated to the NBA game became a higher priority.
“No regrets at all. I think it made perfect sense to start him right away,” Kerr said of the No. 2 overall pick in last year’s draft. “And then I think we started him for the first 16, 17 games, and at that point, that’s when I decided to start (Kevon) Looney. And that decision felt right, too, because we’d given him a good month or so, month and a half, bigger sample size so we knew what we were dealing with.”
Wiseman’s season was cut short in early April by a knee injury. Stephen Curry‘s offensive efficiency numbers were much lower with Wiseman on the court but Kerr is confident they’ll coexist in the future. It’s likely Wiseman will come off the bench next season.
“The way I look at it, he’s 20 years old, unbelievably talented,” Kerr said. “I’ve said all these things many times, but it’s worth repeating. Twenty years old and talented and a great kid. Just be patient and he’s going to develop.”
There were several other notable statements made by Kerr during the interview. Here’s some of the highlights:
- Staff changes will be made. “A staff is no different from a roster where you get a little stale and you need some new blood, you need some new energy, you need to maybe move some things around, move some pieces around, change roles. There’s a lot that we’re discussing.”
- Roster changes will also be made and Kerr is seeking more veterans, regardless of positions. “You want size and shooting in the same package. You want (a player like) Andre Iguodala, you want somebody who can guard multiple positions and when you get into a playoff game you want somebody who can guard LeBron (James) or Kawhi (Leonard), those guys. But somebody who can also make plays offensively.”
- Despite some serious back issues in prior seasons, Kerr is feeling much better physically and still has a zest for coaching. “It’s really a lot of fun for me. I have no plans on stepping down any time soon.”