Coronavirus Notes: Plumlee, Martins, More
Speaking on Tuesday to Mike Singer of The Denver Post, Nuggets center Mason Plumlee said “people are very optimistic” that the 2019/20 NBA season will be resumed and completed. Denver’s former NBPA rep, Plumlee suggested that he has learned from union meetings that there are “a lot of proposals” out there, with strategies being developed to resume play — of course, none of those scenarios will involve fans in attendance.
“People know that we’re playing for the TV at this point. It’s unrealistic to expect any kind of attendance,” Plumlee told Singer in a phone interview. “I know that they’ve talked about cutting down the travel party. I’ve heard proposals of one city, two cities, three cities with 10 teams (each), an expedited finish to the season or a differentiated version of the playoffs.”
Plumlee also expressed confidence that if and when the season is resumed, players will get a ramping-up period of at least a couple weeks, with that time essentially serving as a de facto training camp.
“Some people were pushing for four (weeks), some for two,” Plumlee said. “That remains to be seen. I don’t think that they’ll just call everybody up and within the week we’ll be having live games.”
Here’s more on the NBA’s coronavirus-related stoppage and potential plans to resume play:
- As Singer relays, Plumlee is curious to find out what next season’s schedule would look like if the 2019/20 campaign runs deep into the summer. The Nuggets big man sounds open to the December-August season proposed by Hawks CEO Steve Koonin prior to the pandemic. “It’s interesting, I know a lot of people have quoted the Atlanta Hawks (CEO), but there has been thought around starting the season later anyway based on our fall (TV) ratings,” Plumlee said. “A lot of it has to do with next season as well and if there’s a willingness to start next season in November or December. Maybe this is just something that leads to a new NBA schedule, we don’t know.”
- Magic CEO Alex Martins confirmed on Tuesday that the NBA is willing to extend its 2019/20 season into September if necessary, as Roy Parry of The Orlando Sentinel writes. “Our league has decided that we’re going to try to get in as much of our season and playoffs as the data will allow us to,” Martins told a local task force for reopening businesses. “We’ll play as late as Labor Day if we have to and – as was reported this past week – we’ve been having initial discussions about even delaying the start of next season based on trying to get as much as this season in as possible.”
- In order to better understand COVID-19 and promote efforts to develop a vaccine, the NBA and its players are supporting a Mayo Clinic study for antibodies using blood-based tests, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
- In case you missed it, here’s our Monday roundup of coronavirus-related notes.
Mark Jackson Says He Wants To Coach Again
It has now been six full years since Mark Jackson last coached an NBA game, but the former Warriors head coach confirmed during a Tuesday appearance on ESPN’s First Take that he still has interest in returning to the NBA sidelines.
Asked by hosts Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman about the Knicks‘ head coaching job and the rumors linking him to the position, Jackson didn’t specifically address the possibility of replacing Mike Miller in New York. However, he joked that he appreciates “the chatter” and confirmed he’d welcome the opportunity to coach an NBA team again, whether or not that team is the Knicks.
“There are 30 NBA jobs. I don’t minimize myself to one,” Jackson said (video link). “I look forward to one day coaching again, it’s a dream of mine. … I had an incredible time in Golden State coaching for three years, developing incredible relationships, and having some success. And I look forward to the challenge of doing it once again somewhere.”
Jackson was hired by the Warriors in 2011, and after winning just 23 games in the strike-shortened 2011/12 campaign, he guided the team to 47- and 51-win seasons in the next two years, winning a playoff series in 2013. Golden State ultimately didn’t get over the hump until the following season, when Steve Kerr took over and led the team to the first of three titles in a four-year stretch.
Over the last several years, Jackson has been an analyst for ABC and ESPN. However, his name continues to pop up for certain high-profile coaching jobs. Besides being identified as a possible option for the Knicks, Jackson is also rumored to be on the Nets‘ preliminary list of potential candidates.
BIG3 Postponing Quarantined Tournament, 2020 Season
The BIG3 will postpone a quarantined, reality show-style, three-on-three tournament that the league had been hoping to launch in May, reports Mark Medina of USA Today. According to Medina, the BIG3’s 2020 regular season, which had been scheduled to tip off on June 20, will also be delayed.
A source tells Medina that the quarantined tournament will be pushed back to August or September, while the start of the regular season will be postponed until sometime in the fall or winter.
“It’s a fluid situation,” a person familiar with the situation told Medina. “It’s hard to provide a fixed date, but it’s happening.”
As we outlined in March, the BIG3 is aiming to hold a 16-player tournament in which all participants are quarantined together in a single Los Angeles-area home. The televised show would broadcast the three-on-three games in addition to capturing behind-the-scenes footage of the players living in the house — media production company Endemal, which has produced Big Brother, is expected to be involved.
The BIG3 had initially planned to launch the tournament in April or May, but is still working on finalizing the participants. Additionally, since the BIG3 is planning on conducting coronavirus tests on all the players and officials involved in the event, the league is sensitive to ongoing testing shortages elsewhere in the country. The league also wants to address safety concerns for players who would be traveling in from out of state.
BIG3 founder Ice Cube had hinted on Monday that the event would have to be delayed, suggesting that the timeline is somewhat out of the league’s hands.
“The BIG3 is ready to go but we can’t move faster than the government and the networks,” he tweeted. “We’re in a holding pattern until restrictions and schedules are worked out, ya dig?”
Sixers Notes: Simmons, Embiid, Front Office
After an April report suggested that Sixers star Ben Simmons is expected to return from his back injury if the 2019/20 season resumes, general manager Elton Brand was asked today during a call with reporters about Simmons’ status.
According to Derek Bodner of The Athletic (Twitter link), Brand confirmed that the former No. 1 overall pick is doing “really, really well” in his recovery and that the club is optimistic about his outlook.
“It’s tough (to speculate about a timeline) because of him not playing three-on-three (or) five-on-five,” Brand said, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (all Twitter links). “… But when I FaceTime him during his workouts, during his treatment and I see him, I’d be highly encouraged that his ramp-up would be different. We took our time. We’ve been methodical and thoughtful about his recovery and rehab just to make sure, because we weren’t in a rush. It’s hard to speculate, but he’s been working hard, and I know he’d be closer or ready.”
Here’s more on Simmons and the Sixers:
- Simmons and center Joel Embiid were permitted to use the team’s practice facility during the hiatus for rehab purposes, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Brand confirmed as much today, as Pompey details in a tweet of his own.
- The Sixers lost their senior vice president of player personnel to Chicago last week when Marc Eversley was hired as the Bulls’ new general manager. Asked today about Eversley’s departure, Brand said no decision has been made yet about whether the club will directly replace the veteran executive. According to Bodner (Twitter link), Brand suggested that the 76ers are always looking for ways to improve the organization, but are happy with who they have in the front office.
- In an article for The Athletic, Bodner poses the most pressing question facing each of the Sixers’ five original starters this season. Bodner looks at Embiid’s conditioning, Simmons’ jump shot, and also raises questions for Josh Richardson, Tobias Harris, and Al Horford.
Poll: 2020 All-Rookie First Team
The NBA’s usual award season is in flux in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Under normal circumstances, the regular season would be over by this point and voting would have taken place on the league’s major awards. This year, however, it’s unclear if or when the season will resume after being suspended in March, creating uncertainty about whether players will get any more regular season games to make their cases for award consideration, and about when voting will take place.
Resolving end-of-season awards is hardly the most pressing concern facing the NBA, but while we wait for further updates on the fate of the ’19/20 season, we might as well pass the time with some award-related speculation.
Last month, we asked you to vote on the 15 players who deserved spots on the 2020 All-NBA teams. Now, we’re shifting our focus to the league’s two All-Rookie squads.
While an All-Rookie berth is a less prestigious honor than a spot on an All-NBA team, All-Rookie debates among fans can get heated. After all, clubs like the Knicks, Hornets, or Cavaliers have no chance of getting a player on this year’s All-NBA teams, so fans can focus on making their cases for the likes of RJ Barrett, P.J. Washington, Darius Garland, or Kevin Porter as All-Rookie players.
Additionally, unlike All-NBA voting, All-Rookie teams don’t adhere to positional limits, which means voters – and fans – are free to pick the top 10 players, regardless of whether they’re guards, forwards, or centers. Not having to worry about those restrictions means we’re able to drill down on the question of which 10 rookies were the most valuable.
Do players like Barrett or Garland, who had major roles on lottery teams, deserve spots over guys like Terence Davis or Matisse Thybulle, who played smaller rotation roles and posted more modest numbers on playoff clubs? How about Zion Williamson? Is he a lock for the All-Rookie First Team despite only appearing in 19 games for the Pelicans this season?
You can make your picks below for the five players you believe are worthy of spots on the All-Rookie First Team. We’ve started with a field of 20 players, but if you feel like I’ve omitted anyone who deserves consideration, please mention them in the comments and I’ll add them to our list when we conduct our Second Team vote later this week.
Vote for your All-Rookie First Team below (choose five players), then take to the comment section to explain your choices!
Who is on your All-Rookie First Team for 2019/20?
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Ja Morant (Grizzlies) 18% (936)
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Zion Williamson (Pelicans) 15% (786)
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Kendrick Nunn (Heat) 9% (503)
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Tyler Herro (Heat) 8% (451)
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Brandon Clarke (Grizzlies) 7% (391)
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RJ Barrett (Knicks) 7% (364)
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Cameron Johnson (Suns) 5% (263)
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Eric Paschall (Warriors) 5% (247)
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Coby White (Bulls) 4% (235)
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Rui Hachimura (Wizards) 4% (223)
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Michael Porter Jr. (Nuggets) 3% (180)
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P.J. Washington (Hornets) 3% (159)
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Terence Davis (Raptors) 2% (127)
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Matisse Thybulle (Sixers) 2% (116)
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De'Andre Hunter (Hawks) 1% (77)
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Darius Garland (Cavaliers) 1% (67)
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Cam Reddish (Hawks) 1% (63)
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Jarrett Culver (Timberwolves) 1% (52)
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Kevin Porter Jr. (Cavaliers) 1% (50)
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Ky Bowman (Warriors) 1% (48)
Total votes: 5,338
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Wall: Wizards Should Prioritize Small Forward, Bench Upgrades
By the time the NBA went on hiatus in March, the Wizards had moved up to the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference and were 5.5 games back of Orlando for the No. 8 seed. While having a healthy John Wall may have put Washington into the playoff mix in the East, the star point guard admitted during a recent appearance on Matt Barnes’ and Stephen Jackson’s ‘All The Smoke’ podcast that the team will need some more upgrades to become a legit contender.
Asked about the Wizards’ priorities in free agency and the draft this offseason, Wall pointed to the small forward position and the bench as two areas he believes the club should be looking at.
“With me and Brad(ley Beal), who is a great cornerstone, and you have Rui (Hachimura) who is a rookie that’s in there, but I feel like we definitely need a three that’s a dog, that can knock down shots and compete and create for us,” Wall said, per Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. “And then, we’ve also got to build a bench, just being realistic.”
In recent years, Kelly Oubre and Otto Porter have handled small forward duties in Washington, but Oubre was dealt to Phoenix in December of 2018, and Porter was sent to Chicago less than two months later. Since then, the Wizards haven’t identified a permanent solution at the position. In 2019/20, second-year forwards Isaac Bonga and Troy Brown started the majority of the team’s games at the three.
While Bonga and especially Brown have the potential to become important contributors, they’re both just 20 years old and may not be ready to play major roles on a contending team. Speaking to Barnes and Jackson on their podcast, Wall made a similar point about some of the Wizards’ youngsters, though he didn’t specifically single out any teammates.
“I love the team we have now. We have some great pieces,” Wall said. “There are a lot of young guys getting an opportunity to play that (they) would probably not have gotten on other teams. But I feel like if you want to be one of those (contending) teams, you’ve got to have veteran guys around that are willing to understand their role.”
The Wizards aren’t expected to have cap room available this offseason to pursue the top veterans on the free agent market, but the team should have some mid-level exception money available. As Hughes notes, it sounds like Wall wouldn’t be opposed to the club using its spending power on win-now pieces.
“I feel like for a couple of years in the past, we just kept trying to rebuild through the draft like you do in a lot of other sports,” Wall said. “But in the (NBA), your window is kind of short. You don’t have time for that.”
2020/21 Salary Cap Preview: Miami Heat
Hoops Rumors is looking ahead at the 2020/21 salary cap situations for all 30 NBA teams. Due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the NBA, it’s impossible to know yet where the cap for 2020/21 will land. Given the league’s lost revenue, we’re assuming for now that it will stay the same as the ’19/20 cap, but it’s entirely possible it will end up higher or lower than that.
The 2019/20 season represented a return to form for the Heat, who endured some up-and-down seasons following LeBron James‘ departure in 2014. Prior to the NBA’s hiatus, they were a top-four team in the East with a 41-24 record.
In addition to their success on the court, the Heat also managed to create some major cap flexibility at the trade deadline by moving Dion Waiters and James Johnson in a three-team deal. The trade ensures that Miami could be one of just a handful of teams with cap room this offseason. However, with several of their own free agents to address, the Heat may end up rolling that cap space over to 2021.
Here’s where things stand for the Heat financially in 2020/21, as we continue our Salary Cap Preview series:
Guaranteed Salary
- Jimmy Butler ($34,379,100)
- Andre Iguodala ($15,000,000)
- Ryan Anderson ($5,214,583) — Waived via stretch provision
- Bam Adebayo ($5,115,492)
- Tyler Herro ($3,822,240)
- KZ Okpala ($1,517,981)
- Chris Silva ($1,517,981)
- A.J. Hammons ($350,087) — Waived via stretch provision
- Total: $66,917,464
Player Options
- Kelly Olynyk ($13,198,243)
- Total: $13,198,243
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Kendrick Nunn ($1,663,861)
- Duncan Robinson ($1,663,861) 1
- Total: $3,327,722
Restricted Free Agents
- Kyle Alexander (two-way qualifying offer / $1,445,697 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Gabe Vincent (two-way qualifying offer / $1,445,697 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Total (cap holds): $2,891,394
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
- Goran Dragic ($28,826,850): Bird rights
- Solomon Hill ($19,138,172): Bird rights
- Meyers Leonard ($16,929,773): Bird rights
- Jae Crowder ($14,849,513): Bird rights
- No. 20 overall pick ($2,582,160)
- Udonis Haslem ($1,620,564): Bird rights
- Derrick Jones ($1,620,564): Bird rights
- Luke Babbitt ($1,620,564): Non-Bird rights 2
- Jordan Mickey ($1,620,564): Non-Bird rights 2
- Dwyane Wade ($1,620,564): Early Bird Rights 2
- Total: $90,429,288
Offseason Cap Outlook
The Heat could go in any number of directions this offseason. Assuming they account for their guaranteed contracts, Nunn and Robinson, Olynyk’s player option (likely to be exercised), and the cap hold for their first-round pick, they could get up to nearly $22MM in room, even if the cap doesn’t increase.
However, with some combination of Dragic, Jones, Crowder, Leonard, Hill, and Haslem likely to be retained, I’d expect Miami to operate as an over-the-cap team this offseason. Assuming those free agents ink one-year deals or modest multiyear pacts, the Heat could maintain enough flexibility to pursue Giannis Antetokounmpo or another star in 2021.
Cap Exceptions Available
- Mid-level exception: $9,258,000 3
- Bi-annual exception: $3,623,000 3
- Trade exception: $7,533,867 (expires 2/8/21) 4
Footnotes
- Robinson’s new salary guarantee date is unknown.
- The cap holds for Babbitt, Mickey, and Wade remain on the Heat’s books because they haven’t been renounced after going unsigned in 2019/20. They can’t be used in a sign-and-trade deal.
- These are projected values. If the Heat go under the cap to use room, they’d lose these exceptions, but would gain access to the room exception ($4,767,000). If their team salary approaches the tax apron, it’s possible they’d be limited to the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5,718,000).
- The Heat would lose this exception if they go under the cap to use room.
Note: Minimum-salary and rookie-scale cap holds are based on the salary cap and could increase or decrease depending on where the cap lands.
Salary information from Basketball Insiders and Early Bird Rights was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Ballmer Finalizes Purchase Of Inglewood’s Forum
The Clippers issued a press release today announcing that CAPSS LLC – a recently-formed company backed by team owner Steve Ballmer – has completed its purchase of The Forum in Inglewood, California. The venue was previously owned by the Madison Square Garden Company.
The sale agreement was initially reported in March, when the two sides reached a deal for Ballmer’s group to buy The Forum for $400MM in cash. MSG Co. – controlled by Knicks owner James Dolan – had previously been engaged in a legal battle with Ballmer and the Clippers, who are trying to build a new arena in Inglewood.
The sale of The Forum will help end that litigation, paving the way for the Clippers to move forward on their new building. The Forum, meanwhile, will continue to operate as a live entertainment venue. The Forum’s existing leadership team of Geni Lincoln and Mike Fallon will now report to Gillian Zucker, the Clippers’ president of business operations, according to today’s announcement.
“The talented team at The Forum has created a world-class live entertainment venue, and we are committed to building upon that reputation,” Zucker said in a statement. “Having The Forum just a short distance from the L.A. Clippers’ new arena will give us the opportunity to provide the City of Inglewood with a number of benefits, including a collaborative approach to managing traffic and community activities.”
The Clippers are locked into their Staples Center lease through 2024, but Ballmer has long prioritized the idea of the team moving into a building of its own. The franchise will now be able to move forward on plans to build a state-of-the-art, 18,000-seat arena in Inglewood.
Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN reported in March that the Clippers’ proposal was undergoing an environmental review by Inglewood, with public hearings to approve the project expected to be held in the summer. It’s not clear whether the coronavirus pandemic has changed that timeline at all.
Coronavirus Notes: Team Owners, Christmas Day, More
There’s no consensus among the NBA’s 30 team owners on when or how to resume play, Nets owner Joe Tsai said last week as part of a virtual seminar (hat tip to NetsDaily). As Tsai explained, a club’s place in the NBA standings may go a long way toward determining whether team ownership is prioritizing finishing the 2019/20 season.
“The reality is everybody is still trying to figure things out with the hope that maybe we can reopen the season —the current season— because … think about this: the Los Angeles Lakers or the Milwaukee Bucks, they’re in first place when the season got suspended,” Tsai said. “There’s a chance of them going for the championship. Of course, they want to play. The players want to play. The ownership wants to play. Then, there are other teams, if you’re in 28th place, maybe this season isn’t that important. So there’s a difference of opinion among the owners as well.”
The Nets have been a middle-of-the-pack team in 2019/20. If the season ended today, they’d be the No. 7 seed in the East, meaning their playoff run might be brief. However, they could make some noise in the postseason if Kyrie Irving and/or Kevin Durant are able to return from injuries. For his part, Tsai declined to offer his opinion on the NBA’s potential plans.
“We’re one individual team but we’re also part of the league, so I’m kind of under a gag order as to what I really think about what the NBA should do,” Tsai said, per NetsDaily.
Here’s more on the NBA’s hiatus and potential plans to resume the season:
- In a roundtable discussion with The Athletic’s MLB and NHL experts (Ken Rosenthal and Pierre LeBrun) about the possibility of sports restarting, Shams Charania offers some details on the NBA’s thinking. Charania confirms that the NBA is tentatively targeting Christmas Day for the start of its 2020/21 season, adding that the federal government has indicated it will help the NBA and any league looking to resume play.
- In an opinion column, Mike DeCourcy of Sporting News argues that no matter how long it takes to resume play, the NBA should prioritize completing its 2019/20 season in order to allow teams and players to finish what they started.
- According to a survey conducted by ESPN, the majority of fans are in favor of watching televised sports played behind closed doors rather than waiting for sports to resume only when fans are permitted to attend.
Pacific Notes: Suns, Michineau, Kobe, Klay
Suns team officials have said that they’re preparing to host voluntary individual workouts at their facilities no earlier than May 16, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. The NBA announced last week that teams may be permitted to reopen practice facilities beginning on May 8, but Arizona’s stay-at-home order will run through at least May 15.
Resuming workouts and potentially playing again this season is a little more complicated for the Suns than for most teams, since the team’s Talking Stick Resort Arena is undergoing renovations and its new practice facility is under construction. As Rankin details, the team is prepared to use its old arena, the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, for workouts — and for games, if the season can be resumed this summer.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- Clippers draft-and-stash prospect David Michineau, the 39th overall pick in the 2016 draft, has signed an extension through 2023 with French team Metropolitans 92, the club announced in a press release (hat tip to Sportando).
- In the wake of Kobe Bryant‘s appearance in Sunday’s episodes of The Last Dance, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne of ESPN takes a closer look at the friendship between Michael Jordan and the late Lakers star.
- Speaking of sports documentaries, Warriors sharpshooter Klay Thompson will be the subject of a short film that goes behind-the-scenes on his recovery from last spring’s ACL tear, as Alex Didion of NBC Sports Bay Area notes.
- In case you missed it last week, we previewed the Lakers‘ and Clippers‘ salary cap outlook for 2020/21 and passed along word that the NBA’s four California teams are lobbying the state in the hopes of reopening their practice facilities later this month.