Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Siakam, Love, Nets
The Celtics have had a tumultuous start to their offseason, and fans can expect even more changes as the off-season progresses. But their options are limited, writes Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston, and making large changes require creativity and precision. President of basketball operations Brad Stevens, for his part, seems to agree.
“There are some things that we have to navigate from a financial perspective,” Stevens said. “With our limited ability to sign in free agency. We’re gonna have to be creative, we’re gonna have to continue to work, and we’re gonna have to continue to see what’s out there.”
Forsberg goes step-by-step through how the Celtics will likely approach their non-taxpayer mid-level exception, their trade exceptions, and the other tools they have available this offseason as they try to rebuild this team on the fly.
We have more from around the Atlantic Division:
- Following rumors of the Warriors potentially using one or both of their picks along with James Wiseman to add win-now talent, Blake Murphy of The Athletic addresses the notion that the Raptors could move Pascal Siakam in such a deal. It wouldn’t be as simple as it seems, Murphy writes, both from a financial standpoint and from the Raptors’ end, as they would rather not pursue a deal that feels like it’s selling low on their All-NBA talent.
- With two years and $60MM left on his deal, the Cavaliers would surely rather trade Kevin Love than buy him out, but if no trade materializes and they do end up going the buyout rate, keep an eye on the Nets as a landing spot, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “I understand going into my 14th season that being that No. 1 guy, playing 35 minutes, getting 20 touches a game is probably in my rear view,” Love said after practicing with Team USA on Tuesday. “But how I can affect the team, and feeling how I’m feeling now, I know that I can do it at a very high level.”
- The Long Island Nets have named Adam Caporn their head coach, according to a team press release. Caporn comes to Brooklyn’s G League affiliate after seven seasons as head coach of Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence, the country’s premier player development program. Caporn is also currently serving as an assistant coach for the Australian national team as they compete for a gold medal in Tokyo.
Adam Silver Talks Injuries, Raptors, Representation, Play-In Tournament, Expansion
NBA commissioner Adam Silver spoke with the media ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals. During his media session, he covered a wide variety of topics, shedding light on his and the league’s mindset heading into next season and beyond.
Silver admitted that the compressed schedule could have had an effect on the unusually high number of severe injuries this season, saying “I have no doubt the physical stress and mental toll has contributed to injuries,” (Twitter link via USA Today’s Mark Medina).
Silver also introduced the topic of an internal clock, saying because NBA players are used to playing within a certain time-frame in a given year, changing that time-frame radically could have an effect on injuries. He admitted that, given the extraordinary circumstances, it’s hard to say whether the choices the league made were the right ones, tweets Medina.
“Quite frankly,” Silver said, “we might not know for quite a while after this pandemic is over, whether we made the right decision or not.”
Silver also discussed the Raptors, who – given the U.S./Canada border restrictions – had to play out this season in Tampa. According to Marc Stein (Twitter link), Silver said it’s “unclear” if the Raptors will be able to return to Toronto for next season, but that the team and the league are hopeful.
On the topic of black and female representation, both among coaching staffs and around the league, Silver was adamant that the league most look to improve itself. “It’s something that requires daily attention,” Medina quotes Silver as saying. “We’re not gonna rest on our laurels.”
“It’s a little bit frustrating,” Silver continued. “It’s an area you look around here, and you’d like to see more representation here with all aspects of our business.”
Silver was optimistic about the continued existence of the play-in tournament, which has been a ratings success over the last two seasons. “It’s my expectation we’ll continue it for next season,” Silver said (Twitter link via Brian Lewis of The New York Post). Silver added that the decision is pending an agreement between the players’ union and the teams, and that some players, including LeBron James, were not a fan of the tournament.
Finally, on the topic of league expansion, Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated tweets that Silver says “it’s not at the top of the agenda right now,” but that he’ll continue to consider at the topic.
Southeast Workouts: Wizards, Magic, Hornets, Hawks
The Wizards worked out six draft prospects today, and there are four more scheduled for tomorrow, according to team announcements. Western Kentucky’s Charles Bassey, Texas’ Greg Brown III, and Isaiah Todd, of the G League Ignite, headlined today’s workouts, along with Jay Huff, Blake Francis, and Colbey Ross.
Tomorrow’s slate of workouts will include Troy Baxter Jr., Obadiah Noel, Jamorko Pickett, and Devontae Shuler.
We have more draft workout news from around the Southeast Division:
- Corey Kispert, the sharp-shooting senior out of Gonzaga, worked out today for the Magic, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic. The 6’6″ guard/forward would fill a much-needed role for a Magic team that is well-stocked at some positions but still low on shooters.
- The Hornets worked out potential lottery pick Jalen Johnson today, according to a tweet from the team. Johnson had a turbulent year at Duke, and eventually withdrew from the program, but came in with a high pedigree and an intriguing point-forward skillset.
- Ruot Monyyong, out of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, will work out for the Hawks on Wednesday, tweets Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. The 6’10 big man was the 2019/20 All-Sun Defensive Player of the Year.
Poll: Who Will Win NBA Finals MVP?
The NBA Finals between the Bucks and Suns tip off tonight, and they’re surrounded by much uncertainty. The biggest question, of course, relates to the health of two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who hyperextended his knee halfway through Game 4 of the Bucks’ series against the Hawks. The Bucks are being cagey with his injury — initially ruled as doubtful by the team, he has since been upgraded to questionable, with his status for Game 1 to be determined after pre-game warmups.
If Antetokounmpo is fully healthy, or even mostly healthy, he is a great bet to take him the coveted Bill Russell Award, which would make him the third player to have a Finals MVP, MVP, and Defensive Player of the Year award to his name, joining Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon.
If Antetokounmpo isn’t ready to go by the opening tip-off, though, things get much more interesting.
The Bucks managed to get contributions from multiple sources in Games 5 and 6 of the Eastern Finals. In Game 5, Brook Lopez led the way with 33 points, going back to his Nets days as a low-post offensive hub despite the defensive presence of Hawks’ center Clint Capela.
In Game 6, though, Lopez was unable to keep up the pace, providing 13 points on nine shots. It seems unlikely Lopez would be able to maintain his Game 5 level of offensive production over a full series, especially while battling with defensive anchor Deandre Ayton. If Ayton gets in foul trouble, however, Lopez could have an easier path, as the one weakness on the Suns’ roster is their lack of a back-up center.
Meanwhile, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday both exploded in the last two games against the Hawks. Holiday averaged 26 PPG and 11 APG over the final two contests while Middleton averaged 29 PPG and 7.5 APG. The Hawks had no match for either player, though the Suns have far more wing and guard defenders to throw at them than the Hawks did.
As for the Suns, their big three of Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and Ayton have been rolling all playoffs long. While detractors have pointed to the injuries of their opponents, the Suns’ ability to close out series – especially for a relatively inexperienced team – has been extremely impressive.
Ayton has been a force on both ends, averaging 17.8 PPG, 13.7 RPG and 1.7 BPG in his first Western Conference Finals. Booker, hounded
all series long by the likes of Patrick Beverley and Paul George, was able to put the team on his back as a scorer time after time. And Paul is coming off possibly the performance of his career: a 41-point, eight-assist, zero-turnover game to eliminate his former team, the Clippers, and advance to the first NBA Finals of his 16-season career.
It seems unlikely that Ayton will be named Finals MVP in the case of a Suns championship, barring an unexpected offensive explosion, but both Paul and Booker are prime candidates for the award.
In fact, according to DraftKings.com, Booker and Paul have the two highest odds for coming away with the Finals MVP, with Paul having a slight edge on Booker. Middleton and Antetokounmpo are tied for third, but Giannis’ odds are sure to change if news breaks that he will, in fact, return in time to play in Game 1 of the Finals.
So here’s our question of the day:
Who do you expect to be named Finals MVP?
Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!
Who will win Finals MVP?
-
Chris Paul 49% (746)
-
Devin Booker 19% (287)
-
Giannis Antetokounmpo 15% (227)
-
Khris Middleton 8% (120)
-
Deandre Ayton 4% (67)
-
Jrue Holiday 2% (38)
-
Someone else 1% (22)
-
Brook Lopez 1% (17)
Total votes: 1,524
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Suns Notes: Galloway, Crowder, Saric, Craig
With Game 1 of the NBA Finals set to tip off in a matter of hours, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington examines Suns guard Langston Galloway‘s path from going undrafted in 2014 to being four wins away from an NBA championship.
“Oftentimes when I’m in the locker room, I’m the only undrafted guy in the locker room,” Galloway said. “I look at it like this, it’s like if I can beat out the next guy to me, I can worry about myself going forward and the opportunity I’ve provided in front of me.”
Galloway discussed the ever-vigilant edge that being an undrafted player causes you to play with: “You have to always be paranoid. It’s knowing that I can’t rest on my laurels, I can’t rest on my career. I have to always get better knowing that the next opportunity is my best opportunity.”
Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News also takes a look at Galloway’s impending free agency, as well as his potential fit with the first team that gave him a shot, the Knicks.
We have more news from the Suns:
- Jay King of The Athletic has a piece on Jae Crowder and why every team in the league, especially the Celtics, need a guy like him. “I’m not saying Boston don’t have toughness,” Crowder’s father said on a podcast with former player Etan Thomas, “but they could have used a Jae Crowder. Miami got to the Finals last year. Jae Crowder’s gone, now where they at?” Celtics president Brad Stevens seems to agree: “Everywhere Jae Crowder goes, they win, which is great credit to him,” Stevens said.
- Between injuries, a positive COVID test, and inconsistent minutes, it wasn’t the easiest year for forward Dario Saric, tweets Suns reporter Gina Mizell. “But to be, right now, here, with my teammates, it’s a dream come true, you know what I mean,” Saric said.
- In a video from The Arizona Republic, Torrey Craig speaks on the experience of going up against his former team in the Finals: “… To compete against guys you played with, not only just compete against them but with the NBA Finals competing against them, that definitely sets the bar for whatever narrative you want to set for it,” Craig said, a smile on his face. “I’m definitely excited.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo Listed As Doubtful For Game 1
Bucks star and two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) has been listed as doubtful for Game 1 of the NBA Finals, writes Malika Andrews of ESPN.
Earlier in the day, coach Mike Budenholzer said Giannis “had a good day and is making good progress,” but acknowledged he wasn’t sure about Antetokounmpo’s status for Game 1. According to Duane Rankin of Arizona Republic, Budenholzer said that Antetokounmpo was able to do some on-court work.
The Bucks managed to hold on for the last two-and-a-half games of the Eastern Conference Finals following Antetokounmpo’s knee hyperextension, and they may need some more heroics from Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez if Antetokounmpo is unable to suit up for Game 1 against Phoenix.
The Suns hope to be at full health themselves following a positive COVID-19 test for Chris Paul and Devin Booker‘s broken nose earlier in the postseason.
Hawks Notes: Williams, Backup PG, Okongwu, Roster
Lou Williams had considered retiring after the trade that sent him from the Clippers to the Hawks, but after Atlanta’s miraculous Eastern Conference Finals run, he’s thinking about coming back, writes Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“Blessing in disguise. ATL, thank you,” Williams wrote in an Instagram post on Sunday. “I appreciate the warm welcome back. My teammates and staff was nothing less than amazing to me. Love. #6man #undergroundgoat #thinkimcomingback.”
The three-time Sixth Man of the Year is entering unrestricted free agency this summer.
We have more news from the Hawks:
- While the Hawks are open to bringing back Williams, Hawks president of basketball operations Travis Schlenk views the backup point guard spot as an area the team will try to upgrade this offseason, as Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. “It’s no secret that we’ve always struggled to field a consistent role is at the backup point guard spot,” Schlenk said. “We’ve had a couple of different guys. I think that’ll be one area where we look to shore up this offseason.”
- Schlenk expressed confidence in the team’s big men, including Clint Capela and John Collins, after Brook Lopez stepped up to provide a big offensive presence following the injury to Giannis Antetokounmpo. “When you get to the part of the season where we got to — the Eastern Conference finals — you’re playing against good teams and good players,” Schlenk said. “I have confidence in the big guys on our roster to be able to compete.”
- On rookie center Onyeka Okongwu, Schlenk said: “I told ‘O’ yesterday I don’t think I’ve ever seen a player improve so much from the beginning of the playoffs to the end of the playoffs… Told him he should be extremely proud. But there’s a lot more there. And ‘O’ knows that and we feel like that. He’s only going to get better.”
- Schlenk also touched on the roster-building challenges the team will face as a number of its current players get more expensive. “Obviously it’s a lot easier when you have guys on rookie-scale deals to build out your roster,” Schlenk said, “but once those deals come up, and those players start making bigger money, you really are limited on the ways to add to your team.”
Draft Notes: Champagnie, Wiggins, Green, Onu, Kopp, Jones
Power forward Julian Champagnie is withdrawing from the draft and returning to Saint John’s, writes ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. The 6’8 forward had bolstered his stock in the pre-draft process due to his combination of defense, athleticism and shooting, but not as much as he would have liked.
“I enjoyed the process, but I didn’t put myself in the spot I wanted to, partially because of a wrist injury I suffered early on that set me back mentally and physically,” Champagnie said. “…I am not sure exactly where I would have gotten drafted, what part of the second round. Being in that spot in the draft, I felt it wouldn’t hurt me to go back to school.”
We have more news from the draft:
- Aaron Wiggins will remain in the draft, reports ESPN’s Givony. The 6’6″ athletic forward was a standout at the G League Elite Camp and says he’s interviewed with seven NBA teams. “I’ve shown teams things they’ve never seen before,” Wiggins said. “Teams have been surprised by what I showed. I’ve loved the information and feedback I’ve received and didn’t want to wait until the last minute with my decision.”
- Kelly Iko of The Athletic profiles potential top-three pick Jalen Green. Within his story, Iko discusses Green’s path that led him to choose the G League over college, as well as his maturity in accepting guidance from the older members of his G League Ignite team. “It’s a lot of kids out here like, ‘This old dude can’t tell me nothing’ or they won’t try to listen,” teammate Bobby Brown said, referencing Green and his fellow rookies-to-be. “But they were all students of the game, all sponges.”
- EJ Onu of Shawnee State will keep his name in the draft, tweets Givony. The 6’11 center measured into the G League Elite Camp with a 7’8.5″ wingspan and shot 40% from three on 130 attempts. Onu is projected to be a mid-to-late second round pick.
- Miller Kopp has withdrawn his name from the 2021 NBA draft process, reports Jeff Goodman of Stadium. The 6’7 forward, who has played three seasons with Northwestern, is transferring to Indiana University.
- DeVante’ Jones has withdrawn from the pre-draft process and will return to school, reports Givony. Jones, a standout point guard for Coastal Carolina University, will be transferring to Michigan for his senior year.
Jazz To Do Everything Possible To Bring Back Conley
The Jazz are in a tough position with their point guard situation, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic. Mike Conley is coming off his first ever All-Star season, officially breaking his stretch as this generation’s best player without an All-Star appearance, and because of the team’s salary situation, it’s unlikely they’ll be able to replace him in the starting lineup should he walk in free agency.
2021/22 is the official start of Donovan Mitchell‘s five-year maximum extension, which will pay him approximately $28.1MM next season. Rudy Gobert is also starting a five-year, $205MM contract extension, and Bojan Bogdanovic, Royce O’Neale, and Derrick Favors are all under long-term deals worth $8MM annually or more. Joe Ingles is also on a one-year extension that leaves the team with a $13MM cap hit.
All of those factors combine to make it almost impossible for the team to replace the unrestricted Conley with an equivalent player on the open market if he should accept a deal with another team.
To make things more complicated, the 33-year-old has been hampered by injuries during his time in Utah, playing just 98 of the team’s 144 regular season games, and 11 of the team’s 18 playoff games. Concerns about Conley’s durability are well-founded, and may come into play on the open market, but the Jazz can’t afford to let such questions deter them.
According to Jones’ sources, the Jazz are without question determined to bring Conley back and will make “every attempt” to re-sign him.
One thing the Jazz may have to consider, writes Jones, is bringing in another point guard if and when Conley misses time with injury. Preserving Conley for the playoffs will be paramount as the team continues to seek answers in their quest to go from regular season powerhouse to true playoff contender.
Jalen Harris Dismissed, Disqualified From NBA For Drug Violation
6:23pm: Harris’ dismissal is official, NBA Communications tweets. He’ll be eligible to apply for reinstatement in one year.
3:29pm: Raptors guard Jalen Harris has been dismissed and disqualified from the NBA due to violating terms of the league’s anti-drug program, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic. According to Charania, Harris is able to apply for reinstatement in one year.
Harris was selected with the 59th pick in the 2020 draft out of the University of Nevada and averaged 7.4 PPG in 13 games as a 22-year-old rookie. He was a standout on the Raptors’ G League team in his seven games with the 905, averaging 17.6 PPG on 50% shooting from three.
The manner of dismissal suggests that the violation was due to drug abuse, not use of performance enhancing drugs. As Blake Murphy of The Athletic points out in his tweet thread containing the list of substances that fall into the category of drugs of abuse, this renders Harris’ contract null, though the Raptors will retain his rights and have a chance to bring him back upon reinstatement if they so desire.
The details of the violation are unclear, but the penalty is similar to ones received by Tyreke Evans in 2019, O.J. Mayo in 2016, and Chris Anderson in 2006. Anderson was able to return to the league two years later, but Mayo has never been reinstated. Evans is eligible to apply for reinstatement this summer.