Fallout From Pete D’Alessandro’s Kings Depature
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported earlier today that Pete D’Alessandro is leaving the Kings to accept a front office post with the Nuggets. He’ll be working in a supporting role under team president Josh Kroenke with both the Nuggets and the National Hockey League’s Colorado Avalanche. D’Alessandro’s impending departure from Sacramento will end a tumultuous tenure that began with high hopes when new Kings principal owner Vivek Ranadive brought him aboard back in June 2013, writes Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. In the article, Jones relays a number of details regarding D’Alessandro’s tenure with the Kings. Jones’ meticulously reported piece is worth a full read, especially for Kings fans, but we’ll pass along some highlights here:
- D’Alessandro fought for the firing of coach Michael Malone last December, Jones writes. Parting ways with Malone sent the team into a tailspin and angered a number of the players on the roster, as Jones details. Ranadive said it was D’Alessandro and former Kings adviser Chris Mullin, who is now head coach at St. John’s University, who insisted that firing Malone was best for the team. This conflicts with Wojnarowski’s report, which indicated that Ranadive forced D’Alessandro into firing Malone.
- The GM alienated some Kings players when he publicly relayed that Malone would have been fired even if the team had a winning record, according to Jones. The players viewed the termination of Malone as a personal vendetta that D’Alessandro acted on regardless of the effect it would have on the team, the Bee scribe adds.
- D’Alessandro told center DeMarcus Cousins that he was against the hiring of George Karl as coach, multiple sources told Jones. Cousins later became upset when reports surfaced indicating that he was the one who was against Karl being named coach because of his loyalty to Malone.
- D’Alessandro was the primary reason that former director player pro personnel Shareef Abdur-Rahim left the team before this past season, Jones reports. Abdur-Rahim disagreed with the GM’s decision to select Nik Stauskas in the 2014 draft, and he believed that Elfrid Payton would have been a better fit for the team, Jones relays.
- Ranadive hired Vlade Divac, against D’Alessandro’s wishes, in order to add a basketball voice whom the owner believed wouldn’t allow personal feelings to impact his professional decisions, Jones adds.
Western Notes: Okafor, Suns, Jazz
The Lakers are looking at more than just basketball ability in their evaluations of draft prospects, and one of the most important intangibles to Los Angeles’ front office is overall character, Kevin Ding of BleacherReport writes. Duke big man Jahlil Okafor has impressed the Lakers in this regard, Ding notes. Mike Krzyzewski, Okafor’s coach with the Blue Devils, sings the praises of his former player’s off the court demeanor, saying, “He’s going to be a franchise player. And he’s going to be a franchise person.”
Here’s what else is happening around the Western Conference:
- The Suns held pre-draft workouts for Treveon Graham (VCU), Ryan Harrow (Georgia State), Sir’Dominic Pointer (St. John’s), Corey Hawkins (UC-Davis), Yanick Moreira (SMU), and Gabriel Olaseni (Iowa), Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic relays (Twitter links).
- The Jazz will host a free agent minicamp on Thursday for 27 players, Jody Genessy of The Deseret News writes. Attendees will include Brock Motum, Jarvis Varnado, Fuquan Edwin, and former Bulls first-rounder Marquis Teague, Genessy notes.
- Former Kansas swingman Kelly Oubre may be too tempting for the Thunder to pass up with the No. 14 overall pick, Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman opines. One aspect of Oubre’s physique that is garnering him attention is his 7’2″ wingspan, Mayberry adds. “Bringing length to a team is definitely something that can be one of my strong suits,” Oubre said. “And just being able to lock in on defense. My lateral movement is pretty good.” You can check out Hoops Rumors’ full prospect profile for Oubre here.
2015/16 Roster Counts: Dallas Mavericks
During the offseason it’s OK for teams to carry as many as 20 players, but clubs must trim their rosters down to a maximum of 15 by opening night. In the meantime, some teams will hang around that 15-man line, while others will max out their roster counts. Some clubs may actually have more than 15 contracts that are at least partially guaranteed on the books. That means they’ll end up paying players who won’t be on the regular season roster, unless they can find trade partners.
With plenty more movement still to come, here’s the latest look at the Mavericks’ roster size, the contract guarantee status of each player, and how each player came to be on Dallas’ roster.
(Last Updated 2-22-16, 12:15pm)
Fully Guaranteed (15)
- Justin Anderson (G/F) — 6’6″/21 years old. Drafted with the No. 21 overall pick in 2015.
- J.J. Barea (G) — 6’0″/31 years old. Free agent signing.
- Jeremy Evans (F) — 6’9″/27 years old. Free agent signing.
- Raymond Felton (G) — 6’1″/31 years old. Acquired via trade from Knicks.
- Devin Harris (G) — 6’3″/32 years old. Free agent signing.
- David Lee (F) — 6’9″/32 years old. Free agent signing.
- Wesley Matthews (G/F) — 6’5″/28 years old. Free agent signing.
- JaVale McGee (C) — 7’0″/27 years old. Free agent signing.
- Salah Mejri (C) — 7’1″/29 years old. Free agent signing.
- Dirk Nowitzki (F) — 7’0″/36 years old. Draft rights acquired via Bucks.
- Zaza Pachulia (C) — 6’11″/31 years old. Acquired via trade from Bucks.
- Chandler Parsons (F) — 6’9″/26 years old. Free agent signing.
- Dwight Powell (F) — 6’11″/23 Years old. Acquired via trade with Celtics.
- Charlie Villanueva (F) — 6’11″/30 years old. Free agent signing.
- Deron Williams (G) — 6’3″/30 years old. Free agent signing.
10-Day Contracts (0)
- N/A
TOTAL ROSTER COUNT (15)
Atlantic Notes: Jackson, Casey, Knicks
Warriors consultant Jerry West is not impressed with the work of Knicks team president Phil Jackson thus far, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com relays. West questioned the trades Jackson has made with the Knicks and wondered about his ability to succeed in a front office role, Begley notes. In an interview on SiriusXM Bleacher Report Radio’s “NBA Sunday Tip,” West said, “It’s a little easier for [Heat president Pat Riley]. He’s had a lot more experience on both sides in coaching and now in the front office. With Phil, it’s going to be interesting to see what happens back there. They didn’t have the kind of year I’m sure they wanted to have. Everyone in the league feels like they made two trades that helped Cleveland tremendously and one that helped Dallas this year.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Raptors coach Dwane Casey says that he wasn’t concerned about his job security for next season, despite his squad getting swept in the first round of this year’s NBA Playoffs, Steven Loung of Sportsnet.ca writes. “I wasn’t worried about my job, never have been, never will be,” Casey said during an appearance on Sportsnet 590 the FAN’s “Brady and Walker” program. “[GM] Masai [Ujiri] has every right to look at the entire organization, [like] the coaching staff, and evaluate everything that we’ve done as a staff and as a team but I think, if we’re all honest with ourselves and look where we come from and look how the growth process is going, we’re going in the right direction. I think that’s what the evaluation process shows. Did we make mistakes as a coaching staff? Yes. Did we make mistakes as an organization and players making mistakes as players? Yes. We all do. We all are accountable for everything that goes on, but again, big picture, we’re going in the right direction from where we started last year.“
- The Knicks held workouts this past Friday for Andrew Harrison (Kentucky), Quinn Cook (Duke), Jordan Sibert (Dayton), and Kevin Pangos (Gonzaga), Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv relays.
- Notre Dame swingman Pat Connaughton is scheduled to work out for the Celtics on Wednesday, Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald tweets.
Eastern Notes: Pistons, Wizards, Carroll
Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy had the opportunity to veto the team’s hire of Arn Tellem as the vice chairman of Palace Sports and Entertainment, David Aldridge of NBA.com writes. “[Team owner] Tom [Gores] told me, if you’re not comfortable with this, you can veto this,” Van Gundy said. “And I had no intention of doing that. I have 100 percent confidence in Tom. I respect his intellect. I respect his integrity.”
Van Gundy will still make the final calls on personnel in Detroit, but he plans to use Tellem’s experience and knowledge in determining player values, Aldridge adds. “Clearly he has a lot of contacts and people that have a loyalty to him,” Van Gundy said. “And that’s what most people will focus on. But the other side that will help us even when it’s with people that Arn doesn’t have a relationship with is, Arn’s been through this so many times with so many clients, he knows what pushes players’ buttons in the recruiting process. He’s been on the other side of it to know what works and what doesn’t. He can bring to us the other side and educate us on the other side of things.”
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- The Wizards have workouts scheduled on Wednesday for Traevon Jackson (Wisconsin), Antoine Mason (Auburn), Gabriel Olaseni (Iowa), M.J. Rhett (Mississippi), Satnam Singh (India), and Maurice Walker (Minnesota), the team announced.
- Kentucky shooting guard Devin Booker and Wisconsin forward Sam Dekker will work out for the Hornets on Wednesday, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer tweets.
- DeMarre Carroll reiterated past comments indicating that the Hawks will be his first choice in free agency this summer, adding that he’ll nonetheless keep his options open as he spoke in a radio interview on Paul Gant’s “Go For It” show (audio link; transcription via Kurt Helin of ProBasketballTalk).
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
2015/16 Roster Counts: Cleveland Cavaliers
During the offseason it’s OK for teams to carry as many as 20 players, but clubs must trim their rosters down to a maximum of 15 by opening night. In the meantime, some teams will hang around that 15-man line, while others will max out their roster counts. Some clubs may actually have more than 15 contracts that are at least partially guaranteed on the books. That means they’ll end up paying players who won’t be on the regular season roster, unless they can find trade partners.
With plenty more movement still to come, here’s the latest look at the Cavaliers’ roster size, the contract guarantee status of each player, and how each player came to be on Cleveland’s roster.
(Last Updated 3-9-16, 3:00pm)
Fully Guaranteed (14)
- Matthew Dellavedova (G) — 6’4″/24 years old. Free agent signing.
- Channing Frye (F) — 6’11″/32 years old. Acquired via trade from Magic..
- Kyrie Irving (G) — 6’3″/23 years old. Drafted with No. 1 overall pick in 2011.
- LeBron James (F) — 6’8″/30 years old. Free agent signing.
- Richard Jefferson (F) — 6’7″/35 years old. Free agent signing.
- James Jones (F) — 6’8″/34 years old. Free agent signing.
- Sasha Kaun (C) — 7’0″/30 years old. Draft rights acquired from Thunder.
- Kevin Love (F) — 6’10″/26 years old. Acquired via trade from Timberwolves.
- Jordan McRae (G) — 6’5″/24 years old. Free agent signing.
- Timofey Mozgov, (C) — 7’1″/28 years old. Acquired via a trade with Nuggets.
- Iman Shumpert (G) — 6’5″/25 years old. Acquired via trade from Knicks.
- J.R. Smith (G) — 6’6″/29 years old. Acquired via trade from Knicks.
- Tristan Thompson (F) — 6’9″/24 years old. Drafted with No. 4 overall pick in 2011.
- Mo Williams (G) — 6’1″/32 years old. Free agent signing.
10-Day Contracts (0)
- None
TOTAL ROSTER COUNT (14)
Pacific Notes: Thompson, Towns, Okafor
Count Andrew Bogut among the Warriors glad the team didn’t budge on its refusal to trade Klay Thompson to the Cavs for Kevin Love, as the Australian center told Grantland’s Zach Lowe. “Thankfully, we didn’t pull the trigger,” Bogut said. “I don’t know if that trade would have gotten us to this point. I didn’t think it would be a huge upgrade. David Lee provides the same output, besides the 3-point shooting. I thought we could have just found a stretch 4 at the veteran’s minimum — someone like James Jones.”
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Steve Kerr lobbied against the trade this past summer because he preferred to see how a largely untouched Warriors roster would continue to develop, as he said to Lowe for the same piece. “Continuity was the biggest thing for me,” Kerr said. “When you’ve got something good, let it grow organically. We were already really good on defense, and I knew we would get better on offense. Why do something dramatic? I had a real fear of the unknown.”
- Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak says that the franchise has been unsuccessful thus far in getting Kentucky big man Karl-Anthony Towns to come in for a workout or interview, but he does believe it will happen prior to the NBA Draft, Kevin Ding of BleacherReport tweets.
- Duke center Jahlil Okafor has downplayed the reports that he is angling to become a member of the Lakers, but he definitely sounds like a player who wants to wear purple and gold in the NBA, Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News notes (Twitter link).
- You can see Hoops Rumors’ full prospect profiles for Towns, Okafor, and many other potential draftees here.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
2015/16 Roster Counts: Chicago Bulls
During the offseason it’s OK for teams to carry as many as 20 players, but clubs must trim their rosters down to a maximum of 15 by opening night. In the meantime, some teams will hang around that 15-man line, while others will max out their roster counts. Some clubs may actually have more than 15 contracts that are at least partially guaranteed on the books. That means they’ll end up paying players who won’t be on the regular season roster, unless they can find trade partners.
With plenty more movement still to come, here’s the latest look at the Bulls’ roster size, the contract guarantee status of each player, and how each player came to be on Chicago’s roster.
(Last Updated 2-18-16, 4:00pm)
Fully Guaranteed (15)
- Cameron Bairstow (F) — 6’9″/24 years old. Drafted with No. 49 overall pick in 2014.
- Aaron Brooks (G) — 6’0″/30 years old. Free agent signing.
- Jimmy Butler (G/F) — 6’7″/25 years old. Drafted with No. 30 overall pick in 2011.
- Mike Dunleavy (F) — 6’9″/34 years old. Free agent signing.
- Cristiano Felicio (F/C) — 6’9″/23 years old. Free agent signing.
- Pau Gasol (F) — 7’0″/34 years old. Free agent signing.
- Taj Gibson (F) — 6’9″/29 years old. Drafted with No. 26 overall pick in 2009.
- Justin Holiday (G) — 6’6″/26 years old. Acquired via trade from Hawks.
- Doug McDermott (F) — 6’8″/23 years old. Draft rights acquired from Nuggets.
- E’Twaun Moore (G) — 6’4″/26 years old. Free agent signing.
- Nikola Mirotic (F) — 6’10″/24 years old. Draft rights acquired from Timberwolves.
- Joakim Noah (C) — 6’11″/30 years old. Drafted with No. 9 overall pick in 2007.
- Bobby Portis (F) — 6’11/20 years old. Drafted with No. 22 overall pick in 2015.
- Derrick Rose (G) — 6’3″/26 years old. Drafted with No. 1 overall pick in 2008.
- Tony Snell (F) — 6’7″/23 years old. Drafted with No. 20 overall pick in 2013.
10-Day Contracts (0)
- None
TOTAL ROSTER COUNT (15)
Draft Histories Of Current NBA Executives
The 2015 NBA Draft is less than three weeks away, and for all of the teams that aren’t still participating in the NBA playoffs, the focus is on using that event to build toward a better future. With NBA Draft lottery complete, the speculation is underway as to which player each franchise will pin its hopes on for the future. Of course, having one of the top selections in any draft doesn’t guarantee that a team will snag a future All-Star. Team executives and scouts still have the difficult task of making the correct call with their picks.
With this in mind we at Hoops Rumors have been taking a look back at the draft history of the primary basketball executive for each NBA team. Their names, reputations, and possibly employment will be on the line as a result of the decisions to come on June 25th, and we’ll be examining what they’ve done in previous years in charge of a club’s front office. Note that many of them have played other sorts of roles within a team’s executive structure, but this won’t take that into account.
Here’s the list of executives I’ve examined thus far:
- Danny Ainge (Celtics President of Basketball Operations)
- Rich Cho (Hornets GM)
- Tim Connelly (Nuggets GM)
- Dell Demps (Pelicans GM)
- Rob Hennigan (Magic GM)
- Sam Hinkie (Sixers President of Basketball Operations)
- Billy King (Nets GM)
- Dennis Lindsey (Jazz GM)
- Ryan McDonough (Suns GM)
- Bob Myers (Warriors GM)
- Donnie Nelson (Mavericks President of Basketball Operations)
- Neil Olshey (Trail Blazers President of Basketball Operations)
- Flip Saunders (Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations)
- Masai Ujiri (Raptors GM)
- Chris Wallace (Grizzlies GM)
Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Winslow, Knicks
The Celtics are looking at small forwards as the team prepares for the upcoming NBA Draft, Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald writes. One skill any draftee of Boston’s will require is the ability to score, preferably from the outside, Murphy notes. “Some things guys get better at easier than others,” director of player personnel Austin Ainge said about the franchise’s search for shooters. “There’s things we as a basketball profession do a better job of teaching. Are skills more acquirable? That’s something we evaluate. Their shooting fundamentals may be fixable, and other guys . . . wow, that may be hard to fix, that may take some time. We look at all of those things.”
Here’s more from the NBA’s Atlantic Division:
- Duke forward Justise Winslow is slated to work out for the Knicks on Monday, and the franchise is seriously considering the freshman with the No. 4 overall pick in the draft, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweets.
- The Knicks have scheduled a physical for Emmanuel Mudiay on Monday, and the guard is set to work out for the team on Tuesday, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com reports (Twitter link). You can view our full prospect profile for Mudiay here.
- Another player under consideration for the Knicks at No. 4 overall is forward Kristaps Porzingis, but the Latvian may not be the best for for the triangle offense, Begley writes. “He prefers to attack from outside. Make three-point shots,” says Christopher Ney, the founder of EuropeanProspects, a European scouting service. “He is quite similar in playing style to Andrea Bargnani so this might be a problem.”