NBA, NBPA Finalize Revised CBA Terms For Restart
The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association have finalized the terms of the revised Collective Bargaining Agreement for this summer’s Orlando restart, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
As Wojnarowski explains, that means that the items outlined in Saturday’s memo to teams – such as the rescheduled date for the 2020 draft and the details of this week’s transaction window – have now been formally agreed upon.
There are still more items that the NBA and NBPA must negotiate and finalize, such as the start date and subsequent calendar for the 2020/21 season. However, this agreement represents an important step toward finishing the ’19/20 campaign.
Mavs To Seek Reinforcements Following Lee’s Calf Injury
6:43pm: The team has confirmed Lee’s left calf injury in a press release and adds that he won’t be available when it resumes workouts on July 1. There is no timetable for his return.
4:16pm: The Mavericks will be on the lookout for possible roster reinforcements once the NBA’s transactions window opens on Tuesday, reports Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link).
Already missing Dwight Powell, who tore his Achilles in January, and Jalen Brunson, who underwent shoulder surgery in March, Dallas will now be without Courtney Lee as well. According to Stein, Lee suffered a calf injury during the hiatus that required surgery. Confirming Stein’s report, Tim MacMahon of ESPN tweets that Lee suffered the injury in a “freak accident.”
Although neither Stein nor Lee provides a specific recovery timetable for Lee, MacMahon refers to the injury as “significant,” which makes it sound as if the veteran swingman probably won’t be available this summer.
As ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter), injured players aren’t eligible to be replaced by substitute players, so Dallas wouldn’t be able to simply add three players to its Orlando roster in place of Powell, Brunson, and Lee without making corresponding moves to open up spots. Lee is on an expiring contract, so if his season is over, he would be the most logical candidate to be released.
Although Lee wasn’t a regular contributor for the Mavericks throughout the entirety of the 2019/20 campaign, he emerged as part of the rotation in the month leading up to the league’s hiatus. The 34-year-old started five of seven games in March, averaging 6.6 PPG on .500/.467/1.000 shooting in 22.8 minutes per contest.
It remains unclear which free agents the Mavs may be targeting this week, or even which position they may focus on — with Powell, Brunson, and Lee on the shelf, the club is missing a player in its backcourt, on the wing, and in the frontcourt.
Blazers’ Trevor Ariza Opting Out Of NBA Restart
Trail Blazers forward Trevor Ariza will voluntarily opt out of participating in the NBA’s restart this summer, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
As Wojnarowski explains, Ariza has been involved in a custody case over his 12-year-old son, and the mother has granted a court-ordered one-month visitation period that overlaps with the NBA’s time in Orlando.
The NBA isn’t permitting family members to join players in the Disney bubble until after the first round of the postseason, forcing Ariza to make a choice. He has decided to spend that month with his son rather than joining the Blazers.
Ariza had established himself as a key part of the Blazers’ lineup since being acquired in a midseason trade. He had started 21 games for Portland, averaging 11.0 PPG and 4.8 RPG on .491/.400/.872 shooting in 33.4 minutes per contest.
The Blazers will miss Ariza’s three-and-D ability on the wing as they attempt to push for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Currently, Portland is 3.5 games back of the Grizzlies for the No. 8 seed — the team would force a play-in tournament if it finishes within four games of Memphis and hangs onto the No. 9 seed.
With Ariza no longer in the mix and Rodney Hood out for the season, the Blazers will have to rely on the likes of Carmelo Anthony, Mario Hezonja, Nassir Little, and Gary Trent on the wing.
As Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (via Twitter), the Blazers have an open roster spot and will also be eligible to add a substitute player in Ariza’s place. With their star guards healthy and Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins due back from injuries to fortify the frontcourt, Portland can afford to focus on the wing as it considers potential roster additions.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Knicks Receive Permission To Interview Jason Kidd
The Knicks have requested and received permission to interview Jason Kidd for their head coaching opening, reports Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link). Kidd is currently an assistant on Frank Vogel‘s Lakers staff.
Kidd, 47, has a pair of head coaching stints under his belt. He led the Nets to a 44-38 record during the 2013/14 season before joining the Bucks the following year. From 2014-18, he had a 139-152 (.478) record in Milwaukee, earning two playoff appearances but not advancing beyond the first round during that time.
This isn’t the first we’ve heard of the Knicks’ interest in Kidd. Ian Begley of SNY.tv previously reported that Kidd had fans within the organization, adding today that there had been “strong internal interest” in setting up an interview with the former All-Star point guard.
Kidd is the 11th candidate the Knicks are expected to interview as they conduct a wide-ranging search for their next permanent head coach. The full list of names can be found in our tracker.
NBA Hires Malik Rose, David Booth As VPs Of Basketball Ops
The NBA has officially hired executives Malik Rose and David Booth as vice presidents of basketball operations, the league announced today in a press release.
According to the NBA, Rose and Booth – who both begin today and will report to president of league operations Byron Spruell – will be “responsible for interfacing directly with teams and players regarding league programs, rules, new initiatives, and competitive elements.”
Both Rose and Booth previously worked in team front offices. Rose recently left his position as an assistant general manager for the Pistons, while Booth had been the director of player personnel for the Pelicans from 2014-19. Rose and Booth each played professional basketball as well, though Booth spent his playing career in international leagues rather than the NBA.
Rose and Booth were hired after an “extensive” search and interview process, Spruell told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.
Heat’s Gabe Vincent Named NBAGL Most Improved Player
Heat two-way player Gabe Vincent has been named the NBA G League’s Most Improved Player for the 2019/20 season, the league announced today in a press release.
Vincent, who went undrafted out of UC Santa Barbara in 2018, played for the Stockton Kings – Sacramento’s G League affiliate – in his first professional season, averaging 8.4 PPG, 2.4 APG, and 2.2 RPG on .382/.291/.710 shooting in 25 games (17.8 MPG).
He took a major step forward in 2019/20, first for Stockton and then for the Sioux Falls Skyforce – Miami’s NBAGL affiliate – after he signed a two-way deal with the Heat in January. In 31 total games (29.3 MPG), Vincent recorded 21.1 PPG, 3.1 RPG, and 2.1 APG with a .450/.406/.923 shooting line. The 6’3″ guard also made his NBA debut earlier this year, appearing in six total games for the Heat.
The runners-up in the G League’s Most Improved Player vote are also under contract with NBA teams. Raptors two-way player Paul Watson finished second, with Warriors guard Mychal Mulder coming in third.
Raptors Travel To Florida For Pre-Disney Camp
The Raptors confirmed today in a press release that select players and staff members are traveling to Fort Myers, Florida to prepare for the resumption of the 2019/20 season. According to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link), most Raptors players are already in Florida or are en route.
Although NBA teams aren’t expected to report to the league’s campus at Walt Disney World for training camps until around July 7, the Raptors are headed to Florida early in order to get their international travel across the U.S./Canada border out of the way. Training in Toronto would have put the team at risk of being subject to a longer quarantine period once they traveled to Orlando in July.
According to today’s announcement, the Raptors will remain in the Fort Myers area until going to Disney in July. While the press release doesn’t mention it, the expectation is that the team will use the Alico Arena in Florida Gulf Coast University as its practice facility for the time being, per an earlier report from Shams Charania of The Athletic.
No group workouts will be permitted until teams report to Disney next month, so for now, the Raptors will continue to conduct individual workouts. Players and staffers are expected to remain at their hotels, leaving only for workouts and other “essential activities,” as Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca notes (via Twitter).
Davis Bertans To Sit Out NBA Restart
Wizards forward Davis Bertans has decided to sit out when the NBA resumes its season next month, according to Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim Bontemps of ESPN (via Twitter).
As Wojnarowski notes, Bertans has suffered a pair of ACL injuries in the past and will be entering free agency this offseason on the heels of a career year. It’s not clear whether Bertans has any additional safety concerns related to COVID-19, but if he suffers an injury this summer, it could diminish his value as he seeks a new contract in the coming months.
Of course, it’s also worth noting that – with or without Bertans – the Wizards aren’t exactly championship contenders. Already missing star point guard John Wall, Washington will enter the restart trailing the Magic for the No. 8 seed in the East by 5.5 games. In order to earn a playoff spot, the Wizards would have to gain at least two games on Orlando or Brooklyn during the eight seeding contests, then win two consecutive games in a play-in tournament.
According to Wojnarowski, the Wizards “fully support” Bertans’ decision, which is viewed as a preventative measure. The veteran sharpshooter is still expected to participate in pre-Orlando training with the team, Woj adds.
Bertans, 27, averaged a career-best 15.4 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 1.7 APG in 54 games (29.3 MPG) during his first season as a Wizard, making an impressive 42.4% of 8.7 three-point attempts per game. The Wizards, who turned down offers for Bertans at the trade deadline in February, view re-signing him as a top offseason priority, says Wojnarowski.
As for the short term, the Wizards will be eligible to sign a substitute player to replace Bertans in Orlando, without needing to open up a roster spot for that replacement. Once the franchise signs a substitute, Bertans would become ineligible to return this season.
Bertans will also forfeit 1/92.6th of his salary for each game he misses this summer — based on his $7MM salary for 2019/20, that would normally work out to about $605K for eight games. However, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets that the actual figure will likely be close to $520K, since it will take into account previous reductions.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Knicks To Interview Mike Brown For Head Coach Job
The Knicks will interview Warriors associate head coach Mike Brown for their head coaching vacancy, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). New York’s list of coaching candidates has now cracked double-digits, with Brown representing the club’s 10th known interviewee.
Brown has served as an NBA coach for more than two decades, holding assistant roles in Washington, San Antonio, and Indiana to start his career. He became the Cavaliers’ head coach in 2005 and led the team to a 305-187 (.620) record over the next five seasons, earning a spot in the 2007 Finals and winning a Coach of the Year award in 2009.
After departing the Cavs in 2010, Brown over as head coach of the Lakers for the lockout season of 2011/12, leading the team to a 41-25 (.621) record. He was let go just five games into the following season when L.A. got off to a 1-4 start, and rejoined the Cavs for a single season in 2013/14.
Since 2016, Brown has been a top assistant on Steve Kerr‘s staff in Golden State. Brown, who interviewed with the Knicks in 2018 before they hired David Fizdale, is also coaching the Nigerian national team that will compete in next year’s Olympics in Tokyo.
The full list of the 10 known candidates for the Knicks’ head coaching position can be found within our tracker. According to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic (Twitter link), the team started conducting phone calls with those candidates last week.
Top 2021 Prospect Cade Cunningham Sticks With Oklahoma State
Cade Cunningham, projected to be the potential No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA draft, has decided to maintain his commitment to Oklahoma State for the 2020/21 season, he announced today on Twitter (video link).
After Cunningham made his original commitment to Oklahoma State, the school was sanctioned by the NCAA for recruiting violations. A 2021 postseason ban was among the penalties levied upon the Cowboys, leading to speculation that Cunningham may opt for a different program or even take the G League professional path. However, he has decided to play for Oklahoma State after all, despite not getting the chance to participate in next year’s NCAA tournament, barring an appeal that reverses the one-year ban.
According to Jeff Goodman of Stadium (Twitter link), Cunningham never seriously considered joining the G League option, having turned down a $500K+ offer to play for the new Select Team along with Jalen Green, Daishen Nix, and others.
Although Green edged out Cunningham on ESPN’s list of 2020’s top 100 high school recruits, draft guru Jonathan Givony has Cunningham ranked as the top player on his board for the 2021 draft. Givony noted in his most recent ’21 mock that both Cunningham and Green would likely go No. 1 in 2020’s draft if they were eligible.
A 6’7″ point guard, Cunningham was named the Naismith Prep Player of the Year in 2020, leading Montverde Academy in Florida to a 25-0 record with averages of 13.9 PPG, 6.4 APG, and 4.2 RPG.