Blazers Sign Reggie Perry To Hardship Deal For Final Game
The Trail Blazers have signed forward Reggie Perry to a hardship contract, allowing him to play in the team’s final game of the season on Sunday, the club announced today in a press release. Portland will host Utah as the team looks to avoid its 11th straight loss.
Perry signed a 10-day deal with the Blazers in December and a hardship 10-day on March 30. He has appeared in eight games for Portland this season, averaging 8.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 18.0 minutes. He also signed a 10-day contract with the Pacers in early February and played in a single game with Indiana.
Perry played just over 16 minutes in the Blazers’ 50-point loss to the Mavericks on Friday, finishing with nine points and two rebounds off the bench. His biggest impact this season came in the G League. In 34 games with the Raptors’ affiliate, he averaged 19.7 points and 11.1 rebounds per game.
The Blazers currently have nine players injured, making them eligible for a handful of hardship exceptions — Drew Eubanks and Kris Dunn are also signed to hardship deals. Perry’s contract will expire when the regular season ends, so the club won’t have any form of Bird rights on him this summer.
D’Antoni, Stotts Among Kings’ Coaching Targets?
There appears to be a growing expectation that the Kings won’t name Alvin Gentry as their full-time head coach, Marc Stein reports at Substack. Gentry was named interim head coach when the franchise fired Luke Walton back in November.
Sacramento is believed to be seeking a veteran coach, according to Stein, who says that Terry Stotts, Mike D’Antoni, Mike Brown and Steve Clifford have been mentioned in league coaching circles as potential targets. Stotts and D’Antoni are coaching free agents, while Brown (Warriors assistant) and Clifford (Nets coaching consultant) currently work for teams.
The Kings will miss the playoffs for the 16th straight time this season, the longest streak in NBA history. The team has seen seven head coaches in the last decade: Keith Smart, Michael Malone, Tyrone Corbin, George Karl, Dave Joerger, Walton and Gentry.
Stotts, D’Antoni, Brown and Clifford all hold experience as former head coaches. Stein notes that D’Antoni has a strong relationship with Kings general manager Monte McNair, as both were together in Houston from 2016-20. Stotts is also expected to receive interest on the coaching market this summer.
Western Notes: Jazz, Mitchell, Ginobili, Christopher
The Jazz are expected to make some roster moves before the end of the season, Sarah Todd of the Deseret News writes. Utah will likely convert guard Trent Forrest from his two-way contract, but the team still has a need at backup center.
By converting Forrest to the 15-man roster, Utah would also open a two-way spot for another player. Hassan Whiteside (bone spur fracture) and Udoka Azubuike (ankle surgery) remain sidelined, leading the team to sign veteran center Greg Monroe to a 10-day contract last week.
Monroe’s 10-day deal expires on Wednesday night. In order to keep him and convert Forrest, the Jazz would have to waive a player to create roster space. Converting Forrest would allow him to become playoff-eligible.
Here are some other notes from the Western Conference:
- Jazz star Donovan Mitchell insisted his team will “figure out” its recent struggles, Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune writes. Utah blew a 21-point lead against the Warriors on Saturday, losing 111-107. Utah is just 1-6 in its last seven games. “We have a group of guys — including myself — where it’s gonna feel good when we figure it out,” he said. “So, we can sit here and feel sorry for ourselves or we can use it as fuel. And I think we have a group of guys who want to do that. Yeah, we messed up. We’ve messed up fourth quarters 14 times, 15 times — how do we respond, how do we adjust? That’s really where I’m at, that’s where we’re at. We’ll figure it out.”
- Spurs legend Manu Ginobili has embraced his role as the team’s advisor, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News writes. Ginobili, a soon-to-be Hall of Famer, assumed that position last September. He specifically enjoys working with the team’s young players, Orsborn notes. Ginobili played his entire 16-year career with the Spurs and retired in 2018.
- Rockets rookie Josh Christopher is growing into an increased role with the team, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle examines. Christopher has played over 15 minutes in seven straight games. He finished with 30 points and two steals against Minnesota on Sunday, shooting 11-of-14 from the floor.
Atlantic Notes: Rivers, Embiid, Toppin, Durant, Brown
Speaking to reporters this weekend, Sixers coach Doc Rivers made a case for Joel Embiid to win the Most Valuable Player award, as Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays. Embiid is currently in the midst of his best season, averaging 30.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game.
“Listen, I don’t get on this, but I really believe he should be the MVP,” Rivers said.
In addition to his impressive averages, Embiid has led Philadelphia to a 47-30 record. He’ll face stiff competition for the award this year, which will include Denver’s Nikola Jokic, Memphis’ Ja Morant, Phoenix’s Devin Booker and Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Here are some other notes from the Atlantic:
- The Knicks have been eliminated from playoff contention, but second-year forward Obi Toppin is showing he still cares about the games, Neil Best of Newsday writes. Toppin most recently finished with 20 points, four rebounds and four assists in a loss to the Cavaliers on Saturday, showing potential at 24 years old.
- The Nets dropped a 122-115 game to the Hawks on Saturday despite receiving a superstar performance from Kevin Durant, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. Durant finished with a career-high 55 points on 19-of-28 shooting from the floor (68%), but it clearly wasn’t enough. Brooklyn forced just six Atlanta turnovers and allowed over 115 points for a fourth straight game.
- Now that the Celtics have won 49 games, forward Jaylen Brown is halfway to meeting the criteria for a $482K bonus, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). Brown will receive the bonus if Boston makes the second round of the playoffs. The incentive was deemed unlikely at the start of the season, Marks notes.
Auburn’s Walker Kessler Declares For NBA Draft
Auburn sophomore Walker Kessler will declare for the NBA Draft and forgo his remaining college eligibility by hiring an agent, he told ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.
Kessler is ranked No. 24 on ESPN’s big board. As Givony notes, he received Naismith and NABC National Defensive Player of the Year honors this season, averaging 11.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game.
“This season was a blast for my teammates and I,” Kessler said. “Winning the SEC regular season and being the No. 1 ranked team in the country for the first time in Auburn history was a dream. I really valued all the time I spent with the coaching staff and everyone around the program. It was so much fun.”
Kessler, a 7’1″ center, has impressed scouts with his length and athleticism. He posted the highest shot-blocking percentage in college basketball over the last 15 years, according to Givony.
“I think NBA teams saw the different ways I can impact the game,” Kessler said. “I have good timing as a shot-blocker and can move my feet well switching on ball screens. I’m looking forward to showing the diversity of my game, as well as my mobility.”
The NBA draft will be held on Thursday, June 23 in Brooklyn, New York.
Erik Spoelstra Enters Health And Safety Protocols
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols, the team announced (Twitter link). Assistant Chris Quinn will lead the club in his place.
This is Spoelstra’s first time entering the league’s protocols, though Quinn and fellow assistant Malik Allen did so earlier this season. Spoelstra spoke against the protocols back in December in the hopes that the league would re-examine them — the required quarantine period has since been reduced.
“Has everybody gotten their shots and their boosters? Why would they be held out extensively longer than if they have the flu?” he asked, as relayed by Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel.
Spoelstra has guided Miami to the best record in the Eastern Conference this season (50-28), leading the No. 2 seed Bucks by 1.5 games. The Heat will also be without Jimmy Butler (toe), PJ Tucker (knee), Dewayne Dedmon (ankle) and Gabe Vincent (toe) for Sunday’s game against the Raptors.
Miami most recently took a 127-109 road victory over the Bulls on Saturday. The club only has four games left on its regular-season schedule, with the playoffs set to begin in 13 days.
Pacific Notes: Gentry, LeBron, Suns, Westbrook
Kings interim coach Alvin Gentry knows his days in Sacramento may be numbered, but he declined to speak about his future this week, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee writes. Gentry became the team’s interim head coach when Luke Walton was fired back in November.
“There would be no reason whatsoever to discuss it right now,” Gentry said. “The season is going to be over in the next two weeks and then from there, we’ll sit down and talk and figure out the direction that everything should be taken.”
Sacramento owns the 12th-best record in the West at 29-49 and is on the verge of being eliminated from play-in contention. Gentry joined the franchise in 2020 after a five-year stint as the Pelicans’ head coach. His coaching career began as an assistant at Baylor during the 1980/81 season.
There’s more out of the Pacific Division today:
- The Lakers lost a marquee game against the Pelicans at home on Friday, recording its fifth consecutive loss. The team now trails San Antonio by one game (and a tiebreaker) for the No. 10 spot in the West. “The big picture is it was pretty much a must-win for us, and we didn’t get the job done,” LeBron James said, according to Kyle Goon of the Southern California News Group (Twitter link).
- The Suns plan to rest three starters against the Thunder on Sunday, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic tweets. Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton and Jae Crowder all won’t play. Phoenix is coming off a 122-114 loss to the Grizzlies on Friday. Memphis was missing Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Steven Adams in the contest.
- Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports hosted a wide-ranging interview with Lakers star Russell Westbrook, who’s in the midst of a tumultuous season with the team. When Westbrook was asked why he hasn’t taken time off despite being scrutinized by fans, he replied, “Because it’s bigger than me, man. I’m super blessed to have a platform to be able to help show and help other people. So I’m very prideful in showing people on the outside that regardless of the situation, the circumstances that I may be going through, there are ways to be able to get through it. I strongly believe that if I’m healthy, then I’ll be able to play and go out and compete.”
Heat Notes: Rotation, Playoffs, Butler, Strus
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has changed his rotation since losing four straight games, replacing Duncan Robinson with Max Strus in the starting lineup, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. In addition, Victor Oladipo and Markieff Morris have both received DNPs for the past two games.
“These are tough decisions and there’s a lot of different things that could work,” Spoelstra said this week. “We just felt at this time, this particular time, that these moves may clean up some things with the rotation. But those aren’t easy things. I think we all just have to have empathy and grace for some of these changes for the guys that didn’t necessarily play tonight.”
Miami defeated Sacramento 123-100 on Monday and Boston 106-98 on Wednesday. The team is attributing its success to better offensive spacing, but the defense has also improved. Prior to that, the club allowed 110, 111, 118 and 113 points in its four consecutive losses.
Here are some other notes from Miami:
- Speaking of the team’s rotation, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel examines whether Spoelstra will use a 10-man group in the playoffs. Spoelstra has played Gabe Vincent, Tyler Herro, Robinson and Dewayne Dedmon off the bench these past two games, though Caleb Martin (calf) missed both contests.
- Jimmy Butler briefly acknowledged his recent altercation with Spoelstra and Udonis Haslem, Winderman notes in a separate story. “Things happen… and we move on from it,” he explained. Butler, Spoelstra and Haslem all discussed the incident and quickly moved past it shortly after the March 23 game, sources said.
- In addition to starting games, Strus is proving he can close games for the team, Winderman writes. Strus logged nearly 32 minutes against Boston on Wednesday, finishing with 14 points, seven rebounds, three steals and two blocks. He also registered a team-best +17 net rating.
Basketball Hall Of Fame Announces Full Class Of 2022
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has officially announced its 13 honorees for this year, including former players and coaches from the NBA, WNBA and NCAA, along with figures from different basketball committees.
As we previously relayed, Spurs legend Manu Ginobili and former Heat All-Star Tim Hardaway headline the class. They are joined by longtime NBA coach George Karl, former referee Hugh Evans and two-time NCAA National Coach of the Year Bob Huggins.
On the women’s side, three-time WNBA champion Lindsay Whalen, two-time Olympic gold medalist Swin Cash and former WNBA Coach of the Year Marianne Stanley will be inducted.
“Year after year, we are constantly reminded of the extraordinary and transcendent efforts of the remarkable men and women who have impacted the game of basketball from a global perspective,” Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame President and CEO John L. Doleva said in a statement.
“The Class of 2022 is ripe with individuals who have had a significant historical impact on the game we love. We congratulate and thank them for everything they’ve done to better the sport and look forward to honoring them during Enshrinement this fall.”
Lou Hudson (Veterans Committee), Theresa Shank-Grentz (Women’s Veterans Committee), Radivoj Korac (International Committee), Larry Costello (Contributor Committee) and Del Harris (Contributor Committee) will also be inducted. The full class will be enshrined on September 9 and 10 in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Pelicans Sign Jose Alvarado To Four-Year Deal
MARCH 28: The Pelicans have officially announced Alvarado’s new deal, issuing a press release to confirm the move. The team terminated Wallace’s 10-day contract early, as expected, in order to make room on the 15-man roster for Alvarado.
Alvarado’s new contract will include a fourth-year team option, tweets Andrew Lopez of ESPN. That will give the Pelicans the opportunity to turn down that option and make Alvarado a restricted free agent in 2024, if they so choose.
MARCH 27: The Pelicans are converting guard Jose Alvarado from his two-way contract, signing him to a four-year, $6.5MM deal, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The agreement will guarantee Alvarado $3.4MM over the next two years, including $1.5MM on top of the $800K he has already earned this season, according to Charania.
Those numbers appear slightly high if the deal is only worth $6.5MM in total, but it sounds like the rookie guard will at least get two fully guaranteed years followed by two minimum-salary seasons that aren’t fully guaranteed.
Alvarado, 23, signed a two-way deal with New Orleans after going unselected in last year’s draft following four collegiate seasons at Georgia Tech. He has played a key role in the team’s backcourt this season, averaging 6.2 points, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals in 15.3 minutes per contest entering Sunday. He has also shot 43.5% from the floor and 31.6% from behind-the-arc.
By converting Alvarado, the Pelicans will open up a two-way contract spot. The team owns the 10th-best record in the Western Conference at 31-43, leading the Spurs by one game. Promoting Alvarado to the 15-man roster also makes him eligible to play in the postseason, including the play-in game(s).
New Orleans will dip into its mid-level exception in order to ensure Alvarado makes more than the minimum salary this season and to give him four years. The team had only used $1.7MM of its $9.5MM mid-level in 2021/22 in order to sign Herbert Jones.
The Pelicans currently have a full 15-man roster, but 15th man Tyrone Wallace is on a 10-day contract that only runs through Wednesday, so he’ll likely have that deal terminated a couple days early in order to accommodate Alvarado’s promotion.