And-Ones: Social Justice Board, Boatright, Jazz, Moore
Carmelo Anthony, Avery Bradley, Sterling Brown, Donovan Mitchell and Karl-Anthony Towns are the players chosen to serve on the league’s Social Justice Coalition Board, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania (Twitter links).
The NBA and NBPA agreed to create the group to advance equality and social justice after teams walked out of games in late August to protest a police shooting. Commissioner Adam Silver, deputy commissioner Mark Tatum and NBPA executive director Michele Roberts, as well as owners Micky Arison, Steve Ballmer, Clay Bennett, Marc Lasry and Vivek Randadive and coaches Lloyd Pierce and Doc Rivers.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- Ryan Boatright has signed with Lithuanian club team BC Rytas Vilnius, the team tweets. Boatright, 28, played in Europe last season after spending time in the G League during the 2018/19 season. The former University of Connecticut guard also played in Italy, China and Turkey.
- The sale price of the Jazz bodes well for the league’s franchise valuations, Bill Shea of The Athletic notes. The team, along with an arena and a couple of minor-league teams, were sold to Qualtrics founder Ryan Smith for $1.66 billion, and the league’s owners are expected to approve the sale. The valuation falls in line with expectations and doesn’t reflect any pandemic discount, Shea continues. It also reinforces the notion that team values keep going up.
- Former Pacers forward Ben Moore has signed with South East Melbourne Phoenix of Australia’s NBL, according to the team. Moore is expected to join the club for preseason training next month. Moore, who also spent time in the Spurs organization, logged two games with Indiana during the 2017/18 season.
Western Notes: Nesmith, McMillan, Rockets, Diaz
Small forward isn’t a position of need for the Nuggets but if they go in that direction with their draft pick, Vanderbilt’s Aaron Nesmith or Mississippi State’s Robert Woodard could make sense, Mike Singer of the Denver Post writes. Denver holds the No. 22 pick. Nesmith would have to slip for the Nuggets to snare him at that spot — he’s currently rated at No. 13 overall on ESPN’s best available list, while Woodard is ranked No. 26. Nesmith’s perimeter shooting could compel Denver to attempt to move up in the first round, Singer adds.
We have more from the Western Conference:
- Jamelle McMillan will not return on the Pelicans’ coaching staff with Stan Van Gundy in charge, Christian Clark and Scott Kushner of the New Orleans Times Picayune report. McMillan has been in the New Orleans organization for eight seasons, though he also had a stint with the Suns. He’s the son of former Pacers coach Nate McMillan, who is reportedly joining the Hawks’ staff.
- New Rockets GM Rafael Stone hints that he’ll be in the market for a traditional center, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon notes. Stone said he wants a roster with “more optionality” next season, presumably meaning Houston doesn’t want to play small ball on a regular basis. “We’re definitely not going into this offseason saying, ‘We don’t want anyone over 6-7,'” Stone said.
- With the Clippers preparing to move to a new arena in 2024, the organization has announced several hires who will help with the transition, according to a team press release. Most notably, Alex Diaz has been named Chief Operating Officer. He will primarily oversee the operations planning of Inglewood Basketball & Entertainment Center and provide operational council for the Clippers, Honey Training Center and the LA Forum, which was acquired earlier this year by team owner Steve Ballmer.
Health Officials Concerned With December Start
Health officials around the league are concerned how players’ bodies will react to a 72-game season after a reduced offseason, Baxter Holmes of ESPN reports.
Those concerns are ramped up due to travel, rather than playing all the games in one location, as the NBA did during the restart. The lack of travel allowed the players to recover more easily during the restart’s condensed schedule.
The league is expected to make adjustments in the schedule in order to reduce travel. Those adjustments could include playing the same opponent twice in the same city and playing more games against opponents in nearby markets.
The 71-day gap between the last game of the Finals and the projected December 22 start is the shortest offseason in the history of any major sports league, Holmes notes. That could affect how the two conference champions — the Lakers and Heat — approach the first month of the season.
The eight teams that didn’t participate in the restart could also be adversely affected. As unnamed Eastern Conference trainer told Holmes, “They haven’t played competitively since March. How are they (going to) react?”
In a normal offseason, players typically trickle into their team’s practice facility for a few weeks prior to the official start of a month-long training camp. That timeline will now be cut in half, though the NBA has allowed teams to open their facilities for informal workouts.
Community Shootaround: Jrue Holiday
With a moratorium in effect, the Pelicans can’t trade Jrue Holiday at the moment. However, they are reportedly listening to offers for the talented combo guard, who has two years left on his contract, including a $27.1MM player option for the 2021/22 season.
Holiday’s hefty $26.2MM salary for next season could be a stumbling block for potential suitors but there’s expected to be stiff competition for his services. William Guillory and other members of The Athletic staff provided their opinions on the teams most likely to pursue Holiday, concluding that the Nets, Pacers, Heat and Mavericks were the logical landing spots.
In search of third star or something close to it, the Nets could formulate a package that might include some combination of Spencer Dinwiddie, Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert and Taurean Prince and one or two first-round picks, The Athletic speculated. The Pacers could offer a deal featuring center Myles Turner, who has three years left on his contract, to make him Zion Williamson‘s frontcourt partner.
The Heat may have to part with postseason star Tyler Herro, salary filler, and a draft pick to entice the Pelicans. The Mavericks would presumably have strong interest in pairing Holiday with Luka Doncic but the potential return for New Orleans is tougher to figure — perhaps a package that includes Tim Hardaway Jr. and Seth Curry.
That leads us to our question of the day: If the Pelicans deal Holiday, where is he most likely to end up?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Coaching Roundup: Kalamian, Foster, Vinson
The Kings are bringing back Rex Kalamian as an assistant coach under Luke Walton, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. Sacramento confirmed the hiring in a press release. As James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets, Kalamian was on Reggie Theus’ staff from 2007-09. Kalamian was on Doc Rivers’ staff with the Clippers the last two years and also had stints with the Raptors and Thunder.
We have more coaching news:
- Greg Foster is joining the Pacers‘ staff under new head coach Nate Bjorkgren, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets. Foster spent the last two seasons with the Hawks. He also served coaching stint with the 76ers and Bucks.
- The Pelicans are retaining Fred Vinson despite their head coaching change, ESPN’s Andrew Lopez tweets. Vinson has been in the organization since 2010. He began his coaching career with the Clippers.
- John Lucas decided to remain with the Rockets. Get the details here.
Rockets Notes: Harden, Silas, Diop, Higgins, Weaver, McMillan
New Rockets general manager Rafael Stone says he’s committed to building a championship team around James Harden, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN. There has been speculation former Rockets GM and newly-hired Sixers executive Daryl Morey would try to acquire the former MVP.
“We’ve still got James Harden. Our goal is still to win a championship, and if you’ve got him, you’re halfway there,” Stone said. “It’s incumbent on me and (new coach) Stephen (Silas) and the whole team to figure out the rest of the whole, but the key piece is there.”
Silas embraces those expectations and the pressure that comes with it. “I’m a win-now coach,” he said. “To not have to deal with growing and all that type of stuff, to think championship right away, is exciting for me. And I’m prepared for it and ready for it.”
We have more on the Rockets:
- Silas’ contract is a four-year deal, Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston tweets. Silas was officially hired on October 30 after being one of the presumed finalists along with Jeff Van Gundy and John Lucas, who has decided to remain in Houston and join Silas’ staff.
- As previously reported, the team has talked to former Suns and Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek about joining their coaching staff. Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle has uncovered a few other candidates that the Rockets are interested in hiring. Jazz assistant DeSagana Diop, Magic assistant Rick Higgins and former Sixers and Nets assistant Will Weaver are also possible additions to the staff, though Weaver is also a candidate for the Thunder’s head coaching job.
- The front office aggressively pursued former Pacers head coach Nate McMillan to join the staff but he opted to instead join the Hawks’ staff under Lloyd Pierce, Berman adds in another tweet. Atlanta is close to hiring McMillan, though no official announcement has been made.
Pacific Notes: Childs, Crowder, Heckmann, Wiseman
The Lakers and Clippers have interviewed power forward prospect Yoeli Childs, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN tweets. The 6-8 BYU big man averaged 22.2 PPG and 9.0 RPG and made 48.9% of his 3-point attempts. Childs is ranked No. 91 on the latest ESPN big board but he could move into second-round consideration. The Clippers have the No. 57 pick while the Lakers would have to trade into the second round.
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- Heat forward Jae Crowder is the most realistic free agent wing option for the Clippers, who could use another 3-and-D player, Jovan Buha of The Athletic opines. If the Clippers strike out on Crowder, there’s a dropoff among wings they could pursue with their mid-level exception. That second-tier group includes the likes of Wesley Matthews, Derrick Jones and Kent Bazemore, among others.
- Suns co-owner Richard “Dick” Heckmann died Saturday in Rancho Mirage, Calif., Jeremy Cluff of the Arizona Republic reports. “Dick’s philanthropic spirit coupled with his sharp business acumen was what separated him from the pack,” Suns managing partner Robert Sarver said in a statement. Heckmann, 76, was suffering from a variety of ailments.
- A majority of mock drafts have center James Wiseman going to the Warriors with the No. 2 pick, the team’s website notes. Guard Anthony Edwards and forward Deni Avdija are the other strong possibilities, with only two of 24 mock drafts believing guard LaMelo Ball will be Golden State’s selection.
NBPA To Vote On December Start Thursday Or Friday
The National Basketball Players Association is planning to hold a vote on Thursday night or Friday morning on the league’s proposal to start next season on December 22, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
The NBPA, led by executive director Michele Roberts, started holding conference calls with players from each team on Monday and that process will go through Thursday morning. The tone of those calls gave the impression the season is likely to start before Christmas, Charania adds. In that instance, a 72-game season would be held.
The alternative start date is Martin Luther King Day on January 18 with a 60-game regular season. Previous reports suggested the league might limit the season to 50 games if it started in mid-January.
Sources communicated to Charania that NBA players feel the December 22 league start will happen. The NBA has projected that teams and players could suffer significant financial losses with a January start. The week of Christmas traditionally produces ample revenue, numbering in the hundreds of millions of dollars, for the league.
The league predicted that its television network partners may want to renegotiate their lucrative NBA contracts should Christmas games be skipped this season. Under either restart date, the NBA would reduce travel between arenas by 25% to minimize COVID-19 risk, and there would be a six-day All-Star Break. Also, a play-in tournament for the seventh through tenth seeds in both conferences would transpire.
Both the league and the NBPA are targeting a $109MM salary cap and a $132MM luxury tax. The two sides differ when it comes to how they feel the cap and tax should evolve beyond the 2020/21 season, however. The NBA would like to keep a flat tax and cap over the next few years, while the NBPA would prefer an annual increase, sources tell Charania.
If the two sides agree to a 72-game season tipping off on December 22, there would be 14 back-to-back games per team. The regular season would conclude around May 16, and the NBA Finals would finish at the end of July.
Were the NBA to embark upon a 60-game regular season on January 18, each team would have to deal with 12 back-to-back games. The regular season would resolve in June, and the NBA Finals would wrap up around the end of August.
Alex Kirschenbaum contributed to this report.
Play-In Tournament Could Decide Bottom Seeds In Each Conference
A play-in tournament to decide the final two playoff spots in each conference seems likely, Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe of ESPN report.
The tournament being discussed would include teams with the 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th best records. A 7 vs. 8 matchup would decide the No. 7 seed in the conference playoffs. The winner of the 9-10 game would then face the loser of the 7-8 game to decide the No. 8 seed.
The tournament would create another revenue stream for the league, which is trying to find ways to make up for last season’s losses due to the coronavirus pandemic as well as the likelihood of having few or no fans in the stands for at least a portion of next season. Having more teams participate in the proposed format could also decrease some teams’ desire to tank.
There are concerns of unfairly penalizing a team in the No. 7 slot that has a strong record. However, no standings trigger has been discussed to date.
Commissioner Adam Silver said negotiations between the league and Players Association had reached a critical stage with an increasingly short window to reach an agreement to allow for a December 22 start.
In other developments regarding negotiations, per the ESPN duo:
- The league wants to expand guidelines on sports betting, hard alcohol and casinos in order to generate $80-100MM in revenue.
- Significant increases in the escrow withholding on players’ salaries has been discussed. That includes the possibility of spreading out the players’ losses over multiple seasons, most likely three, so that they don’t take such a substantial financial hit in one year. If that’s the case, the salary cap and luxury tax levels would need to be set over the next three years.
- The league recently told teams that 40% of Basketball Related Income (BRI), which is split between the two parties, could be lost without gate receipts this season.
Wizards Notes: Draft-Day Trade Scenarios, Brown
What type of trade would make sense for both parties if the Wizards gave up the No. 9 pick for an established player? Fred Katz of The Athletic takes an in-depth look into that scenario, suggesting players such as Luke Kennard, Larry Nance Jr., Josh Okogie and Derrick White could fit the bill. Washington is hoping for a playoff run with the return of John Wall next season, which makes it sensible to deal the pick for more immediate help.
We have more on the Wizards:
- In another take on the draft, Tyler Byrum and Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington unveil a mock draft in which the Wizards trade down. In this instance, Washington does business with Boston to pick up two first-rounders later in this draft, plus a young player.
- Troy Brown Jr. averaged 15.3 PPG, 7.3 RPG and 4.5 APG in Orlando during the restart. He’s now ready to expand his game, as he explained in a piece he wrote for BasketballNews.com. “This offseason, I’m keying-in on improving my three-point shooting; I definitely have to get better at that. I know my percentage took a leap from my rookie to sophomore season, but improving to around that 40-percent mark would elevate my game so much more,” he said. “Defensively, I want to sharpen my lateral quickness, which would be a huge step for me. If I can get those two things down pat, I feel like I can be in the league for a very long time.”
- What are some of the other questions surrounding the franchise this fall? Check out our Wizards Offseason Preview.