Northwest Notes: Jazz, Wolves, Forcier, Vanterpool, Thunder
With Ricky Rubio set to become an unrestricted free agent on June 30, the Jazz could be in the market for a new starting point guard moving forward, Kincade Upstill of the Deseret News writes.
Rubio made a rather interesting comment this weekend, sharing that Utah won’t be aggressively trying to re-sign him when he reaches the open market. “Utah has already let me know I’m not a priority for them,” he said, according to Ernest Macia of Catalunya Radio.
The Jazz could pursue other available point guards in free agency such as Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, Malcolm Brogdon, D’Angelo Russell or Derrick Rose if the franchise mutually agrees to part ways with Rubio, who has served as the team’s starting point guard over the last two seasons. However, Jazz vice president of basketball operations Dennis Lindsey went on the record to state that Ricky could still re-sign on a new contract.
“He’s got a decision to make on his end and we’ve got a decision to make on our end, but there’s a lot of scenarios I can see Ricky back. … We really appreciate who he is and we think we can get him better from a health perspective and skill standpoint,” Lindsey said, according to Upstill. “We know who he is — he has Jazz DNA. So he’ll have options, we’ll have options and we’ll talk to him and his agent.”
Rubio’s name surfaced in rumors around this season’s February 7 trade deadline, likely causing some trust issues between him and the organization. He holds career-averages of 11.1 points, 7.7 assists and 30.9 minutes across his eight NBA seasons.
There’s more out of the Northwest Division tonight:
- The Timberwolves recently held a free-agent workout that included the likes of Semaj Christon and Milton Doyle, forwards Jamel Artis and Jarrod Uthoff, and center Amida Brimah, as reported by Nicola Lupo of Sportando. Other participants included Keenan Evans, Briante Weber, Mychal Mulder, Rayvonte Rice, Wade Baldwin, Xavier Munford, and Matt Costello, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link).
- Grizzlies assistant Chad Forcier and Trail Blazers assistant David Vanterpool are two candidates to join the Timberwolves‘ coaching staff under Ryan Saunders, Wolfson notes in a separate tweet. Vanterpool interviewed for Minnesota’s head coaching job in mid-May.
- Multiple former Thunder coaches and executives are making an impact around the NBA today, Erik Horne of The Oklahoman writes. Among the successful league officials who spent some time in Oklahoma City are Vanterpool, Adrian Griffin (Raptors assistant coach) and Monty Williams (Suns head coach).
Raptors Notes: Finals, Leonard, Lowry, Ujiri
Having the Raptors in the NBA Finals will help significantly boost the league’s global ambition for success, Jerry Brewer writes for The Washington Post.
The NBA enjoys promoting the league and the sport of basketball as a worldwide activity despite having the most of its events in the United States, scheduling games in countries such as England, China and India in recent years. The entire country of Canada has rallied around Toronto in its pursuit of an NBA championship this season, with some dedicated fans even arriving to Sunday’s Game 2 more than 16 hours before doors opened.
“It’s overwhelming because you think, when I look at all the international players we have on our team . . . it’s really brought us together, and I think it says so much because that’s how our city is,” Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri said, according to Brewer. “That’s how the country is, that we can all relate to the multicultural or the diversity of Toronto and Canada, and that’s how our team is. They talk in different languages on defense. They talk in different languages in the locker room, and it’s like that in our organization. And being international myself and being from Africa, I’m proud of that.”
The NBA has generated more of a global audience in recent years, and with the success of the Raptors, these numbers could continue to grow. Toronto finished with the second-best record in franchise history this season at 58-24, one game behind last season’s record of 59-23.
There’s more out of Toronto tonight:
- Kawhi Leonard remains the mystery man for the Raptors both physically and vocally, something the team is perfectly content with, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe writes. “I just try to take my experiences and just keep moving forward and just have fun,” Leonard said. “Like I said, just basketball at this point. Win, lose or draw, I’m still going to be living, still got a family. This is all for fun. But for me, it’s just the way I play. Until we win the game or it’s all done, then I’ll show some emotion. But I want to stay even-keeled while I’m going through it.”
- Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com explores how Kyle Lowry became the last Raptors player standing from when he first joined the team in 2012. Since then, Toronto has undergone a series of personnel, coaching and culture changes, culminating in a spot in the NBA Finals this season.
- Masai Ujiri deserves a large portion of credit for getting the Raptors through the Eastern Conference, Washburn writes in a different story for The Globe. Ujiri attributed some of his team’s success to former head coach Dwane Casey and former Raptors All-Star DeMar DeRozan for helping jumpstart the winning process in past seasons. “To give Dwane Casey credit, he prepared us for this, too. This is not something that started in one year,” Ujiri said as part of a larger statement. “I want to say that Dwane Casey and DeMar DeRozan are a part of this, they are part of our journey and how far this has come.”
Ricky Rubio Not Counting On Return To Jazz
Jazz guard Ricky Rubio doesn’t appear to be counting on a return to the team for another season, with the veteran point guard making some rather interesting comments this week on his upcoming free agency period.
“Utah has already let me know I’m not a priority for them,” Rubio said, according to Ernest Macia of Catalunya Radio (Twitter link).
Rubio appeared in 68 games with the Jazz this season, averaging 12.7 points, 6.1 assists 1.3 steals in 27.9 minutes per contest. He’s set to join a talented free-agent group that includes point guards such as Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, D’Angelo Russell, Malcolm Brogdon and more, giving the Jazz several options to consider outside of Rubio.
Rubio, 28, was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. He has served as the team’s starting point guard over the last two seasons, spending six years with the Timberwolves before being traded to Utah in June of 2017.
In addition to Rubio (who made $14.9MM last season), the Jazz also have wing Thabo Sefolosha and center Ekpe Udoh to address in unrestricted free agency this summer. Utah finished with the fifth-best record in the Western Conference at 50-32 during the regular season, but the team lost to Houston 4-1 in the opening round of the playoffs.
Raptors Hope OG Anunoby Can Return During Finals
MAY 27: Raptors head coach Nick Nurse said today that Anunoby is about 10 days away from being able to play, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca.
“He’s doing better,” Nurse said. “He’s on the court. He’s moving around. He’s not 100%, but he’s healing.”
If Nurse’s estimate is accurate, Toronto could be aiming to get Anunoby back on the court for either Game Three or – more likely – Game Four in Oakland. Game Four is scheduled for next Friday, June 7, which is 11 days away.
MAY 26: The Raptors are quietly optimistic that OG Anunoby could return at some point during the NBA Finals, which are set to tip off in Toronto on Thursday night, according to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.
Anunoby has missed each of the team’s 18 playoff games while rehabbing from appendectomy surgery. He underwent the emergency procedure six weeks ago, never receiving a firm timetable for his return.
For the Raptors, Anunoby provided depth off the bench in 67 games this season, averaging seven points, 2.9 rebounds and 20.2 minutes in his second campaign. Toronto managed to secure a birth in the Finals despite his absence and will soon square off with the defending-champion Warriors, a team that’s earned nine days of rest between their last contest and Game 1.
The extended timeline between Saturday’s Game 7 and Thursday — along with the spacing between each Finals game — are two key reasons why Toronto is hopeful Anunoby could return soon, Wolstat notes. If it reaches seven games, the series would run until June 16.
Anunoby, a chiseled 6’8″ defensive-minded forward, was drafted by the Raptors with the No. 23 pick in 2017. He’ll earn $2.28MM in 2019/20, with Toronto holding a $3.87MM team option on his contract for the 2020/21 season.
Western Notes: Porter Jr., Randle, Lakers, Kings
Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. remained extremely active with the team during his rookie season despite missing the entire campaign due to injury, staying vocal on the bench and doing his part in helping the team succeed.
Porter, 20, underwent a second back surgery last summer that ultimately cost him his rookie season. He was selected by Denver with the 14th overall pick in the draft last June.
“To be honest, going into the season, I didn’t really expect myself to be able to play at 100 percent if I was to come play,” Porter said last week, according to Mike Singer of the Denver Post. “But like, the way I feel now, it’s leaps and bounds beyond where I thought I’d be at this point. I feel so good. … I feel like I’m a better player than I’ve ever been.”
Despite not seeing any NBA action yet, Porter has impressed his teammates with his confidence, swagger and character during his rookie season. The next four or five months will be important for him, as Singer notes he’s expected to make his professional debut at the Las Vegas Summer League in July.
“What I’ve seen from Michael this year in flashes, is a guy with tremendous size and length, that’s got deep range, that can shoot the ball, that can put the ball on the floor and has great athleticism to finish at the rim,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “This will be a really big summer for Michael.”
There’s more out of the Western Conference tonight:
- Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News examines whether it’s time for the Mavericks to bring Julius Randle back home in free agency this summer. Randle, who’s expected to decline his $9MM player option to become an unrestricted free agent on June 30, was born in Texas and could fit with the young duo of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis. Dallas could also pursue a point guard on the open market, such as Charlotte’s Kemba Walker.
- The Lakers have hired Judy Seto as director of sports performance, the team announced on Friday. Seto, who served as the team’s head physical therapist from 2011-16, will oversee the medical care and optimize the health and performance of Lakers players while reporting directly to general manager Rob Pelinka.
- The Kings have expressed interest in Thunder assistant coach Bob Beyer, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets. Beyer has been an NBA assistant since 2007, making stops with Orlando, Golden State, Charlotte and Detroit before joining Oklahoma City last year. He also served as an assistant with the Raptors during the 2003/04 season.
Southeast Notes: Wizards, Kemba, Heat
The Wizards are roughly eight weeks into their search for a new general manager, but the team made a key mistake by not having a Plan B along the way, Fred Katz of The Athletic writes.
Washington dismissed Ernie Grunfeld as general manager on April 2, quickly identifying Nuggets president Tim Connelly as their top target for the vacant position. The Wizards waited six weeks for the Denver to be eliminated from the playoffs so they could meet with Connelly, who then declined the opportunity after meeting with the franchise.
Team owner Ted Leonsis and consultant Mike Forde have led the way in the search so far, according to Katz. They also interviewed Thunder vice president of basketball operations Troy Weaver, former Cavaliers GM Danny Ferry and interim GM Tommy Sheppard, though each of these meetings surprisingly came several days before Connelly interviewed for the job.
Washington will bring in prospects for pre-draft workouts on June 4, with the NBA Draft slated to commence on June 20, as noted by Katz. The team also has free agency around the corner (which begins on June 30 at 6:00pm ET this year), making it imperative that they find a new general manager as soon as possible.
There’s more today from the Southeast Division:
- The Magic, Pacers, Knicks and Lakers all have an early interest in free agent Kemba Walker, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders tweets. Naturally, you could expect to add more teams to this list as June 30 draws closer. Since Walker made an All-NBA team, the Hornets can offer him a five-year, $221MM super=max contract once free agency opens.
- Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel ponders whether the Heat, who finished with a 39-43 record this season, should take an international route in the draft. Miami was awarded the No. 13 pick for next month’s annual event.
- The Heat could use a star player to help attract other free agents to town, Winderman writes in a separate article. This recruiter could stem from a developing project such as Josh Richardson or Justise Winslow, or a future acquisition down the road.
Kawhi Leonard’s Uncle Discusses Spurs, Raptors, Free Agency
The uncle of Raptors star Kawhi Leonard discussed a variety of topics with Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes on Sunday, including why Leonard requested a trade from San Antonio, his success with Toronto this season and his upcoming free agency period.
Dennis Robertson, widely known as “Uncle Dennis” to many NBA figures, played a key role in getting Leonard out of San Antonio after his relationship with the team started to deteriorate.
Leonard dealt with a significant quad injury last season, missing several games and looking elsewhere for a second opinion despite being cleared by the Spurs‘ medical staff. This decision quickly caused a rift in the organization.
“I think it just became a lack of trust,” Robertson told Haynes. “They didn’t believe Kawhi couldn’t play and that caused a lack of trust in us and then us not believing in them. Any time a player says he’s not capable of playing, you should believe him. Why would Kawhi just stop playing all of a sudden? He’s a competitor. Sometimes you get these team doctors telling you what you can and cannot do, and Kawhi was just in too much pain to get out there. This was a serious issue. They didn’t believe him, and after that, the relationship couldn’t recover and we decided we had to move on.”
Robertson led the way for Leonard and the group requested a trade from San Antonio, listing Los Angeles as a preferred long-term destination. The Spurs wound up shipping him to the Raptors in a larger trade that featured DeMar DeRozan last July.
Leonard has since dominated with the Raptors, leading his team to the NBA Finals while averaging 31.2 points in 18 playoff games. Getting traded to Toronto might’ve been a tough pill to swallow at first glance, but Leonard has thoroughly enjoyed his time with the franchise this season, as Robertson explained.
“When you are initially traded somewhere you didn’t asked to be, you don’t want to accept it,” Robertson said, according to Haynes. “But once you get through that period, the focus then turns to giving your all and performing at a high level. It never had anything to do with the city of Toronto. It wasn’t. Toronto is a beautiful city. Kawhi has often spoke highly of Toronto. It’s a beautiful place. That was just an initial reaction, which is normal. But we’re enjoying this run and looking forward to the Finals.”
For the Raptors, Leonard is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on June 30. The team acquired him with full intentions of re-signing him to a lucrative contract in free agency, though for the time being, his focus only lies on competing in the NBA Finals.
“I can’t get into other free agents and other teams, but for Kawhi, he’s going to take it one day and one game at a time,” Robertson said. “We have a championship opportunity in front of us. We’re not thinking about free agency; it’s the Warriors [right now]. Once we get through the season, we’ll turn our attention to free agency. But we’re just having fun right now. This has been a great year.”
Eastern Notes: Brooks, Ntilikina, Lopez, Knicks
Wizards coach Scott Brooks recently finished his third season with Washington and 10th season as an NBA head coach, reaching a full decade in the position and achieving a goal that very few coaches do these days.
Brooks guided the Wizards through a tumultuous, injury-plagued season and finished with a 32-50 record, causing some around the league to question his future job security. Team owner Ted Leonsis has since decided to keep Brooks entering next season, but Brooks was non-committal on whether the rest of his staff would be joining him for another year.
“I’ve talked to Ted. I definitely talked Ted,” Brooks said, as relayed by Ben Standig of NBC Sports. “I have a lot of respect for our organization. I have to get better, first and foremost…Will the staff remain the same? Every year, staffs change. Every year staffs change. We’re probably going to make some changes. I don’t know if it’s for sure. Everything is still up in the air.”
Brooks shares a close relationship with former Rockets defensive guru Jeff Bzdelik, who was let go from Houston in a surprising move last week. Washington could wind up pursuing Bzdelik or lose some of their assistant coaches – such as Tony Brown – to other teams, Standig notes. Brown was one of Brooks’ lead assistants this past season but is now a coaching free agent.
Regardless of which assistant coaches return for Washington, the team is still seeking a new president of basketball operations and recently offered their vacant position to Denver’s Tim Connelly, according to a report from The Athletic.
“Ted is going to make a [president of basketball operations] decision and I trust that I going to be the best for the program moving forward,” Brooks said. “As of right now, (interim GM Tommy Sheppard) is doing a great job leading the group. We all feel comfortable with what’s going on. Hopefully, things work out and we move forward as an organization. We all have to get better, myself included.”
Here are some other notes from around the Eastern Conference:
- The Knicks will explore a trade centered around Frank Ntilikina in the hopes of landing a late first-round or early second-round draft pick, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. New York explored moving Ntilikina during the regular season but ultimately opted to hold onto him past the NBA’s trade deadline. Ntilikina was drafted by the Knicks with the No. 8 pick in 2017.
- Brook Lopez‘s big Game 1 showed once again why the Bucks’ decision to sign him was a steal last summer, Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes. Lopez, who is on a one-year, $3.4MM deal, finished with 29 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks in Milwaukee’s Game 1 victory.
- ESPN’s Bobby Marks previews the offseason for the Knicks, including potential free-agent targets, the draft, possible trades and future moves. New York is widely expected to pursue top-tier free agents such as Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker when free agency opens on the night of June 30.
Central Notes: Beilein, Pistons, Brogdon, Bulls
New Cavaliers head coach John Beilein accepted a position with the team last week after coaching for 12 seasons at Michigan, a difficult decision for someone who has spent over 40 years at the collegiate level.
Beilein, who’s known for his high character and wealth of basketball knowledge, is being tasked with guiding a young Cavs team back to prominence after a difficult 2018/19 season. The opportunity to coach an NBA team was too good for Beilein to pass up despite having no experience in the league.
“There’s never a good time to leave,” he said last week, as relayed by Andrew Seligman of The Associated Press. “You can make a couple choices. You can leave too early or you can leave too late. You never know when to leave. This was an opportunity that has so much potential it was too difficult to pass up. It was the right thing to do.”
Beilein sees great potential in his new team, from veterans such as Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson to younger players such as Collin Sexton, Cedi Osman, and the No. 5 overall selection in June’s draft. The team also hired a respected associate head coach in J.B. Bickerstaff on Sunday, who spent this past season with the Grizzlies.
“We have good young players,” Beilein said. “Kevin Love. We’ve got some guys with a lot of experience, especially with winning. I talked with all the players today. I feel a good karma right now. Last year, although it was difficult for all, we all learned a lot. Everybody’s gonna grow from it and attack next year with a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of spirit, a lot of optimism.”
There’s more from the Central Division tonight:
- Rod Beard of The Detroit News examines the Pistons’ roster needs, most notably through draft prospects and upcoming free agents. Detroit has the 15th pick in the NBA Draft and will likely be patient at the start of free agency, coming off a season that saw them go 41-41 with the No. 8 seed.
- Aside from bolstering Milwaukee’s championship hopes, the return of Malcolm Brogdon also boosts his potential value during free agency this summer, Steve Aschburner of NBA.com writes. Since returning, Brogdon, who will reach restricted free agency in July, has averaged 13 points in three postseason wins off the Bucks’ bench. He averaged 15.6 points on 51% shooting from the floor, 43% from 3-point range and 93% from the charity stripe in 64 contests during the regular season.
- K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune explores the potential options at point guard for the Bulls this summer, including Brogdon, Terry Rozier, Patrick Beverley and others. Chicago is said to be interested in upgrading its point guard position this offseason through the draft or free agency.
Rockets Open Extension Talks With Mike D’Antoni
The Rockets and head coach Mike D’Antoni have held preliminary discussions on a contract extension that would keep D’Antoni from entering the final season of his deal, according to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
“I’ve let (GM) Daryl (Morey) and (owner) Tilman (Fertitta) know that I’m energized to keep coaching — and believe that I can continue to do this at a high-level for at least another three years,” D’Antoni told ESPN. “I want be part of a championship here.”
D’Antoni is entering the fourth and final year of a $16MM contract he signed with the team back in the summer of 2016. He’s guided the Rockets to deep runs in each of his three seasons as coach, accruing a 173-73 record over that span.
For Houston, it’s unclear how much of a commitment the team would make to D’Antoni in a potential extension, Wojnarowski notes. He is a two-time NBA Coach of the Year.
D’Antoni has held head coaching stints with Denver, Phoenix, New York, the L.A. Lakers and Houston across 15 seasons. The Rockets made it to the Western Conference Semifinals earlier this month but lost to the Warriors in six games, a disappointing end to the campaign.