Nets Officially Hire Jordi Fernandez As Head Coach
The Nets have made it official, announcing today in a press release that they’ve named Jordi Fernandez their new head coach. Word officially broke last Monday that Brooklyn had decided to hire Fernandez.
“As we progressed through an extensive search over the past six weeks, it became increasingly clear that Jordi is the best coach to lead our team forward,” Nets general manager Sean Marks said in a statement. “Jordi brings a diverse set of experiences and basketball knowledge gained over the course of a coaching career that has taken him around the world.
“Each step of the way, Jordi has consistently demonstrated the ability to implement strong processes and creative systems designed to optimize each team’s specific roster. He’s proven the ability to build genuine relationships and garner the respect of players of all levels, and we’re confident that our players will benefit greatly from his expertise.”
Fernandez has spent the past two seasons as the associate head coach on Mike Brown‘s Kings staff. Prior to arriving in Sacramento, he was an assistant under Michael Malone in Denver from 2016-22, the head coach of the Canton Charge in the G League from 2014-16, a Charge assistant in 2013/14, and a player development coach for the Cavaliers from 2009-13.
Fernandez, who has long been considered a future NBA head coach and interviewed for jobs in Phoenix and Toronto last spring, led the Canadian national team to a bronze medal at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. The expectation is that he’ll coach the Canadians again this summer at the Paris Olympics, though it figures to be a busy offseason as he prepares for his new job in Brooklyn.
“I am truly grateful to lead the Nets as head coach and cannot thank (Nets owners Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai) and Sean enough for this exciting and humbling opportunity,” Fernandez said in a statement. “My family and I are thrilled to join such an incredible organization and become part of the vibrant Brooklyn community. I am eager to get to work with this talented group of players and collectively drive our team forward. Together, we will be fully committed to building something special for Nets fans and the borough to be proud of for years to come.”
The Nets parted ways with former head coach Jacque Vaughn in February, replacing him on an interim basis with Kevin Ollie. While Ollie received some consideration for the permanent job, he wasn’t among the group of reported finalists that also included veteran head coach Mike Budenholzer and Suns assistant Kevin Young.
Following last Monday’s report that the Nets had chosen Fernandez, one report indicated that Budenholzer’s contract demands were “rather high” in terms of both years and dollars. That same report noted that former Hornets head coach James Borrego also received serious consideration from Brooklyn. Young, meanwhile, has since accepted the head coaching job at BYU.
Poll: Who Should Win 2023/24 NBA Awards?
The NBA announced the 2023/24 finalists for its seven major awards on Sunday, revealing the top three vote-getters for Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Most Improved Player, Sixth Man of the Year, Coach of the Year, and the newly added Clutch Player of the Year.
Some of these awards have felt like foregone conclusions for a while, but some results could be genuine surprises when they’re revealed beginning this week.
Today though, we’re not focusing on which players will win the awards, but the ones you believe should win them. Select your winners for this year’s major NBA awards in the seven polls below, then head to the comment section to weigh in with your thoughts.
Our polls only include the three finalists in each category, but if you think someone else deserves to win one of these awards, be sure to use the comment section to “write in” that pick and explain your reasoning.
Who should win Most Valuable Player?
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Nikola Jokic (Nuggets) 49% (621)
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) 29% (359)
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Luka Doncic (Mavericks) 22% (278)
Total votes: 1,258
Who should win Defensive Player of the Year?
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Rudy Gobert (Timberwolves) 45% (556)
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Victor Wembanyama (Spurs) 41% (507)
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Bam Adebayo (Heat) 13% (162)
Total votes: 1,225
Who should win Rookie of the Year?
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Victor Wembanyama (Spurs) 87% (1,048)
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Chet Holmgren (Thunder) 12% (141)
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Brandon Miller (Hornets) 1% (15)
Total votes: 1,204
Who should win Most Improved Player?
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Tyrese Maxey (Sixers) 43% (494)
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Coby White (Bulls) 36% (411)
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Alperen Sengun (Rockets) 22% (248)
Total votes: 1,153
Who should win Sixth Man of the Year?
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Malik Monk (Kings) 38% (447)
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Naz Reid (Timberwolves) 37% (431)
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Bobby Portis (Bucks) 24% (284)
Total votes: 1,162
Who should win Coach of the Year?
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Mark Daigneault (Thunder) 63% (717)
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Chris Finch (Timberwolves) 24% (271)
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Jamahl Mosley (Magic) 13% (150)
Total votes: 1,138
Who should win Clutch Player of the Year?
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) 56% (631)
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DeMar DeRozan (Bulls) 22% (245)
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Stephen Curry (Warriors) 22% (242)
Total votes: 1,118
Post-Play-In Update On 2024 Draft Order, Lottery Standings
As we explained on Monday following the conclusion of the NBA’s 2023/24 regular season, the results of the play-in tournament helped move the lottery standings and the 2024 draft order one step closer to being officially set.
Here’s what we know now…
Lottery teams
The results of the play-in tournament didn’t actually change the lottery standings we originally projected on Sunday. The teams that entered the play-in as the seventh and eighth seeds are the ones that made it through.
The Sixers and Heat claimed the East’s final two playoff spots and will face New York and Boston, respectively, in round one of the postseason. The Lakers and Pelicans locked up the Nos. 7 and 8 seeds in the West, lining up first-round dates with Denver and Oklahoma City, respectively.
As a result, the tentative lottery standings are as follows:
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DET | 14 | 13.4 | 12.7 | 12 | 47.9 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| WSH | 14 | 13.4 | 12.7 | 12 | 27.8 | 20 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| CHA | 13.3 | 12.9 | 12.4 | 11.7 | 15.3 | 27.1 | 7.4 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| POR | 13.2 | 12.8 | 12.3 | 11.7 | 6.8 | 24.6 | 16.4 | 2.2 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| SAS | 10.5 | 10.5 | 10.6 | 10.5 | 2.2 | 19.6 | 26.7 | 8.7 | 0.6 | – | – | – | – | – |
| TOR* | 9 | 9.2 | 9.4 | 9.6 | – | 8.6 | 29.8 | 20.6 | 3.7 | 0.1 | – | – | – | – |
| MEM | 7.5 | 7.8 | 8.1 | 8.5 | – | – | 19.7 | 34.1 | 12.9 | 1.3 | >0 | – | – | – |
| UTH* | 6 | 6.3 | 6.7 | 7.2 | – | – | – | 34.5 | 32.1 | 6.7 | 0.4 | >0 | – | – |
| BKN* | 4.5 | 4.8 | 5.2 | 5.7 | – | – | – | – | 50.7 | 25.9 | 3 | 0.1 | >0 | – |
| ATL | 3 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 4 | – | – | – | – | – | 65.9 | 19 | 1.2 | >0 | >0 |
| CHI | 2 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 2.8 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 77.6 | 12.6 | 0.4 | >0 |
| HOU* | 1.5 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 86.1 | 6.7 | 0.1 |
| SAC | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1 | 1.1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 92.9 | 3.3 |
| GSW* | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 96.6 |
* Asterisks denote traded picks:
- The Raptors‘ pick will be sent to the Spurs if it’s outside the top six.
- The Jazz‘s pick will be sent to the Thunder if it’s outside the top 10.
- The Nets‘ pick will be sent to the Rockets.
- The Rockets‘ pick will be sent to the Thunder if it’s outside the top four.
- The Warriors‘ pick will be sent to the Trail Blazers if it’s outside the top four.
Multiple tiebreakers will still be required before the pre-lottery draft order is locked in, since two pairs of lottery teams finished the regular season with identical records.
The teams listed above in italics and marked with asterisks were tied, so the following spots in the chart could still be flipped, pending the results of random tiebreakers:
- Charlotte Hornets / Portland Trail Blazers (21-61)
- Sacramento Kings / Golden State Warriors (46-36)
For instance, if the Trail Blazers win their tiebreaker with the Hornets, they’ll be the team that can’t fall further than No. 7 in the lottery, while Charlotte could slide as far as No. 8.
Lottery teams that ended up with identical regular season records essentially have the same odds at a top-four pick as each other, though the club that wins the tiebreaker will get one extra ping-pong ball combination at No. 3 and No. 13.
Traded first-round picks
The play-in results also provided some clarity on certain first-round picks that were traded with protections.
Crucially, the fact that the Kings missed out on the playoffs means they’ll hang onto their 2024 first-round pick, since it was top-14 protected and will land in that range. Instead of receiving Sacramento’s ’24 first-rounder, the Hawks will be owed the Kings’ 2025 pick, with top-12 protection.
The fact that the Warriors ended up in the lottery means there still a chance they could hang onto their first-round pick, which is top-four protected. Those odds are slim though — the Warriors will have a 3.8% chance of moving up into the top four if they win their tiebreaker with Sacramento, or a 3.4% chance if the Kings win that tiebreaker.
That means the Trail Blazers will have either a 96.2% or 96.6% chance to receive Golden State’s pick. Portland is actually probably rooting for the Warriors to win that tiebreaker with the Kings, even though it would ever so slightly reduce the Blazers’ odds of getting the pick — in that scenario, the Blazers would almost certainly receive No. 13 instead of No. 14.
Two more traded picks are worth mentioning, given the results of the play-in tournament. First, the Lakers‘ first-rounder will now end up somewhere in the No. 16-19 range, depending on tiebreakers. The Pelicans have the option of acquiring that pick or deferring it to 2025 — the odds of a deferral are higher now that it’s not a lottery selection.
The Pelicans’ ability to swap picks with the Bucks also remains alive as a result of New Orleans’ playoff berth. The two teams finished with identical records and also tied with Phoenix, so a three-way tiebreaker will determine the picks from No. 21 to 23. If Milwaukee ends up with a higher pick than New Orleans as a result of those tiebreakers, the Pelicans will exercise their swap rights.
Playoff teams
Based on the play-in results, the draft order in the middle of the first round will be as follows:
- Miami Heat (46-36)
- Indiana Pacers / Los Angeles Lakers / Orlando Magic / Philadelphia 76ers (47-35)
- Note: The Pacers’ pick will be sent to the Raptors.
- Note: The Lakers’ pick may be sent to the Pelicans (New Orleans has the option to defer it to 2025).
- Note: The Pacers’ pick will be sent to the Raptors.
- Cleveland Cavaliers (48-34)
- Milwaukee Bucks / New Orleans Pelicans / Phoenix Suns (49-33)
- Note: The Pelicans have the ability to swap first-round picks with the Bucks.
In addition to the tiebreaker required for the 16-19 and 21-23 picks, the following tiebreakers will be necessary for playoff teams:
- Dallas Mavericks / New York Knicks (50-32)
- Note: The Mavericks’ pick will be sent to the Knicks.
- Denver Nuggets / Oklahoma City Thunder (57-25)
- Note: The Thunder’s pick will be sent to the Jazz.
It’s worth noting that even though Miami, Sacramento, and Golden State all finished the season with identical 46-36 records, the Heat aren’t involved in the Kings/Warriors tiebreaker because they made the playoffs and the other two teams didn’t.
Because those three teams finished tied in the standings, however, Miami will get the first pick of the three in round two — it will be No. 43, while the Kings and Warriors will pick at No. 44 and 45, in some order.
The random tiebreakers for draft positioning are typically conducted on the Monday eight days after the regular season, which would be April 22. Once those are completed, we’ll publish a full pre-lottery order for both rounds of the 2024 draft.
Nets Notes: Claxton, Budenholzer, Borrego, DSJ, Marks
Appearing on the HoopsHype podcast with Michael Scotto, Brian Lewis of The New York Post said he believes there’s better than a 50/50 chance that Nic Claxton will remain with the Nets, suggesting the team has been preparing for having to give the unrestricted free agent center a significant raise.
“I’d go as far as saying they’ve been fretting over it because they’ve had to carve out the money for this,” Lewis said. “They want him back. … I think they’re reasonably confident that they can, as of today, come to some sort of an agreement.”
As for the Nets’ broader plans going forward, Lewis thinks the team will likely wait until 2025 – when Ben Simmons‘ maximum-salary contract comes off the books – to go “big-game hunting,” though that prediction came with a caveat.
“There are a few players who could accelerate that process,” Lewis said. “Donovan Mitchell is one of those few. … If another superstar becomes disgruntled – like Giannis (Antetokounmpo), if he decides he’s given a lot of great years to Milwaukee and wants to leave – there are a few players who’d make the Nets pivot off of waiting until 2025. The baseline right now is the summer of 2025.”
Here’s more on the Nets:
- Discussing the search that led to Brooklyn identifying Jordi Fernandez as its next head coach, Lewis said he has heard that Mike Budenholzer‘s contract demands were “rather high” in terms of both years and dollars, while Scotto says James Borrego was another candidate who received legitimate consideration from the Nets alongside their three reported finalists.
- Dennis Smith Jr. hopes to secure a multiyear contract in free agency this summer, according to Scotto. Asked if he sees himself returning to the Nets, Smith didn’t rule it out. “I don’t know. I wouldn’t mind it,” he said. “I’ve got a great relationship with these guys, and the medical and training staff is one of the best I’ve ever seen in the league – and I’ve got a real perspective on that because I’ve been around. I would welcome that.” For what it’s worth, Lewis believes Smith is more likely to land elsewhere than to remain in Brooklyn, particularly if he’s seeking multiple years.
- NetsDaily passes along some of the highlights from a Sean Marks Q-and-A session with fans at the HSS Training Center this week. The Nets’ president of basketball operations discussed the team’s roster-building approach in fairly general terms and left the door open to the possibility that the club could trade into this year’s draft.
Yuta Watanabe Plans To Play In Japan In 2024/25
Veteran swingman Yuta Watanabe announced on Friday night during an Instagram Live session that he intends to leave the NBA to play in his home country of Japan for the 2024/25 season, according to tweets from Daisuke Sugiura and Takeshi Shibata, among others (Twitter links).
Watanabe, 29, spent a pair of seasons with the Grizzlies from 2018-20, then two years in Toronto from 2020-22. He enjoyed his best NBA season in Brooklyn in 2022/23, averaging 5.6 points and 2.4 rebounds per game off the bench while ranking among the league leaders in three-point percentage (44.4%).
Watanabe’s solid showing with the Nets earned him a two-year, minimum-salary contract from the Suns last summer, but he ended up not playing a major role in Phoenix, averaging just 13.2 minutes per game in 29 appearances before being traded to Memphis in February as part of the three-team deadline deal that sent Royce O’Neale and David Roddy to the Suns.
Having joined an injury-plagued roster in his return to Memphis, Watanabe had a path to regular minutes, but he was limited to just five games due to a wrist issue and personal reasons.
Watanabe’s $2,654,644 player option for next season looked like a safe bet to be exercised entering this offseason, but his comments in Friday’s Instagram Live suggest he plans to decline it in order to clear the path for his return to Japan. Assuming he goes through with that move, it’ll create a little extra cap and roster flexibility for the Grizzlies, who already owe more than $155MM in guaranteed money to 12 players for 2024/25.
Mavs Notes: Washington, Gafford, THJ, Lively, Kidd, Harrison, Kyrie
Few NBA teams could argue they had a better trade deadline this season than the Mavericks, who fortified their rotation by acquiring P.J. Washington from Charlotte and Daniel Gafford from Washington. Dallas has been on a roll since those two new additions debuted on February 10, going 21-9 during that stretch, including a 16-2 run from March 7 to April 10.
Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News takes a closer look at how Washington, who grew up rooting for the Mavs, got to achieve a childhood dream by suiting up for his hometown team, while Kevin Sherrington of The Dallas Morning News (subscriber link) explores the impact Gafford has had since he arrived in Dallas.
As Sherrington writes, the Mavs are 18-3 in games Gafford has started, as he and Washington have helped turn the team into a genuine threat to make a playoff run. Six weeks ago, just avoiding the play-in and having a competitive first-round series might have been a realistic goal for the club, but now the Mavs looks like they could be the best team in the West besides Denver, Sherrington says.
Here’s more out of Dallas:
- Veteran Mavs swingman Tim Hardaway Jr. didn’t practice on Friday due to an illness, but he’ll join the team in Los Angeles, per head coach Jason Kidd, and there’s no indication his availability for Sunday’s Game 1 is in jeopardy at this point. (Twitter link via Townsend). Kidd also said that big man Dereck Lively (knee) has looked good this week and is trending toward playing on Sunday.
- Kidd and Nico Harrison are both in the third season of four-year contracts, according to Townsend, who opines in a Morning News column that the Mavs’ head coach and general manager have done enough this year to warrant contract extensions this offseason. Those decisions will be made by a new-look ownership group led by governor Patrick Dumont.
- Kyrie Irving would have accepted an invitation to play for Team USA this summer if he had received one, but won’t hold any grudges for not being selected, telling reporters on Thursday that “the deliberation process was a tough one” for USA Basketball, as Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News relays. “I would’ve loved to, but I wish my brothers well and I just didn’t fit in to this team,” Irving said. “… At this point in my career, I think my focus should be on winning the championship and in the summertime, just going to support those guys when I get a chance.”
And-Ones: NBA Media Rights, T. Moore, Splitter, I. Austin
The NBA’s exclusive media rights negotiating window with Disney (ESPN/ABC) and Warner Bros. Discovery (TNT) is expected to expire on Monday without a new deal in place, reports Alex Sherman of CNBC Sports.
After Monday, the league will be able to continue to negotiate with Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery while also having conversations with other potential media rights partners, including streamers like Apple, Netflix, and Amazon. A league spokesperson told CNBC that talks with Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery have been “productive” and are ongoing.
As both Sherman and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic explain, the NBA’s next media rights deal will likely be more complex and wide-ranging than the current agreement, with the league expected to put together a package that includes three or four partners rather than just two. That current deal with ESPN/ABC and TNT will expire after the 2024/25 season.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Shooting guard Taze Moore – who signed a pair of 10-day contracts with the Trail Blazers this season, including one on the final day of the season – has joined the Vancouver Bandits in the Canadian Elite Basketball League, per a press release (hat tip to Sean Highkin on Twitter). A former Houston Cougar, Moore didn’t see much action in his first 10 days with Portland, but played 30 minutes in last Sunday’s blowout loss, compiling 12 points, eight rebounds, and four assists.
- Tiago Splitter, an assistant coach on Ime Udoka‘s Rockets staff, will join the Brazilian national team’s staff as an assistant this summer, according to an announcement from the program (hat tip to Eurohoops). Brazil hasn’t secured a spot in the Olympics but will be looking to claim one of the four remaining openings by winning a six-team qualifying tournament in Latvia.
- Isaiah Austin, the former Baylor standout whose plans of playing in the NBA were derailed when he was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, has been hired an assistant coach by Florida Atlantic, reports Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. As Reynolds details, Austin has spent the last several years working for the NBA and playing in the BIG3.
Key 2024 NBA Offseason Dates, Deadlines
With the 2023/24 NBA regular season in the books, nearly half of the league’s teams have shifted their focus to the offseason and others will soon follow suit.
That means it’s time to retire our list of the NBA’s key in-season dates and deadlines for the ’23/24 campaign in favor of an updated offseason calendar of the most important dates facing teams and players in the coming months.
In the space below, you’ll find a breakdown of many of the NBA’s important dates and deadlines for the next few months, right up until training camps open for the 2024/25 season.
April 27
- Deadline for early entrants to declare for the NBA draft (10:59 pm CT).
- Note: For more information on draft-related dates and deadlines, check out our full breakdown.
May 11-12
- NBA G League Elite Camp for draft prospects.
May 12
- NBA draft lottery.
May 12-19
- NBA draft combine.
May 29
- Last day for early entrants to withdraw from the NBA draft and retain their NCAA eligibility (10:59 pm CT).
June 6
- NBA Finals begin.
June 16
- Deadline for all early entrants (including international players) to withdraw from the NBA draft (4:00 pm CT).
June 23
- Latest possible end date for NBA Finals.
TBD (first day after NBA Finals)
- Teams can begin negotiating with their own free agents.
June 26
- Day one of NBA draft (first round)
June 27
- Day two of NBA draft (second round)
June 29
- Last day for decisions on player, team, and early termination options
- Note: Certain contracts will require earlier decisions.
- Last day for teams to make qualifying offers to players eligible for restricted free agency.
June 30
- Last official day of the 2023/24 NBA league year.
- Last day for players eligible for veteran extensions in 2023/24 to sign them.
- Teams can begin negotiating with outside free agents (5:00 pm CT).
July 1
- Official start of the 2024/25 NBA league year.
- Moratorium period begins.
- Restricted free agents can sign an offer sheet.
- Teams can begin signing players to one- or two-year minimum-salary contracts.
- Teams can begin signing players to two-way contracts.
- Teams can begin signing first-round picks to rookie scale contracts.
- Teams can begin signing second-round picks using the second-round pick exception.
- Teams can begin exercising the third- or fourth-year team options for 2025/26 on rookie scale contracts.
July 6
- Moratorium period ends (11:01 am CT).
- Teams can begin officially signing players, extending players, and completing trades (11:01 am CT).
- The 24-hour period for matching an RFA offer sheet signed during the moratorium begins (11:01 am CT).
July 12-22
- Las Vegas Summer League.
July 13
- Last day for teams to unilaterally withdraw qualifying offers to restricted free agents.
July 27
- Start of 2024 Olympics in Paris.
July 31
- Players signed using the second-round pick exception begin to count against a team’s cap.
August 5
- Last day for teams to issue required tenders to unsigned second-round picks.
August 10
- Gold and bronze medal games at the Paris Olympics.
August 29
- Last day for teams to waive players and apply the stretch provision to their 2024/25 salaries.
September 27
- Training camps open for teams playing exhibition games outside North America.
October 1
- Training camps open for the remaining teams.
October 19
- Last day for players on fully non-guaranteed contracts to be waived and not count at all against a team’s 2024/25 cap. They must clear waivers before the first day of the regular season.
October 21
- Last day of the 2024 offseason.
- Roster limits decrease from 21 players to 18 (4:00 pm CT). Teams will be limited to carrying 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals as of this deadline.
- Last day for teams to sign a player to a rookie scale extension (5:00 pm CT).
- Last day for teams to sign an extension-eligible veteran player with multiple seasons left on his contract to an extension. An extension-eligible veteran player on an expiring deal can still be extended after October 21.
- Last day for teams to complete sign-and-trade deals.
- Last day for teams to convert an Exhibit 10 contract into a two-way contract.
October 22
- 2024/25 regular season begins.
Information from NBA.com and ESPN’s Bobby Marks was used in the creation of this post.
Rockets Notes: Offseason, Green, Sengun, Draft, Brooks, Landale
The Rockets made major changes to their roster during the 2023 offseason, bringing in top free agents like Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks. However, general manage Rafael Stone‘s comments this week suggest the team anticipates a quieter summer this time around, with a focus on internal improvement rather than outside additions, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required).
“I like my team,” Stone said. “So, I think potentially, we’re just bringing back everybody that we have. It doesn’t mean we won’t look at things, but I don’t think we’re sitting here today feeling like, ‘Oh we need to go get X’ at all.”
As Stone pointed out, the Rockets acquired injured center Steven Adams at the trade deadline and saw Alperen Sengun and Tari Eason go down with season-ending injuries of their own. Simply getting those three players on the court should go a long way toward fortifying the roster, which Stone described as “well-rounded” with “lots of talented players.”
The biggest decisions of the Rockets’ offseason might be whether to lock up Jalen Green and Sengun to long-term deals or to take a wait-and-see approach with those contract situations. Both players will be eligible for rookie scale extensions in July.
“The way the CBA is set up, you can extend — you don’t have to,” Stone said. “And you can always revisit next summer. We’ll have conversations, we’ll see what makes sense for us, what makes sense for them, and then both sides will end up making whatever decisions we make. But not feeling like it’s a burden or a crushing pressure or anything like that.”
Here’s more on the Rockets:
- Houston will likely lose its own first-round pick to Oklahoma City, but controls a lottery selection via Brooklyn. Stone acknowledged that the team could explore trade possibilities with that first-rounder, given all the young players already on the roster, per Feigen. “We have to do the evaluation of the whole draft. One rule of thumb is, if you can get a really special player, you get him,” Stone said. “You can’t control the timing so anytime you can do it, you just do it. The flip side is we’re extraordinarily excited about our young guys now. There’s not an obvious source of minutes for anybody coming in. That applies equally well, maybe even more so, to a veteran coming in.”
- Despite missing the postseason this spring for the first time since 2020, Dillon Brooks has no regrets about his decision to sign a long-term contract with the Rockets as a free agent last summer, according to Feigen (subscription required). “I feel good about my choice,” Brooks said. “I want to grow with these guys. I want to get Houston back where it needs to be.”
- Another one of the Rockets’ 2023 free agent signees, Jock Landale expressed a similar sentiment to Brooks despite struggling for much of the season and not reclaiming a regular rotation role until March. “It was obviously rough early on. It was just about sticking with it and learning more about myself. No regrets at all,” Landale said, adding that he has made “lifelong friends” in Houston.
- The NBA didn’t make any sort of announcement regarding Alperen Sengun‘s end-of-season award eligibility, but John Hollinger of The Athletic hears that the Rockets center was listed on the ballots sent out to voters by the league. A potential Most Improved Player candidate, Sengun played in 63 games before suffering a leg injury that ended his season. Based on the language of the 65-game rule, he’s award-eligible if an independent doctor determined the injury would likely sideline him through May 31.
Pacific Notes: Beal, Ellis, K. Jones, Russell
Suns guard Bradley Beal admitted that the finger he injured on his right hand last month is still far from 100%, but told reporters on Thursday that he has gotten more comfortable playing with a wrap on his ring finger and dealing with the pain (Twitter video link via Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports).
“It’s definitely a little, I think, partially torn, sprained, whatever they want to call it,” Beal said. “I haven’t had an image on it in weeks. The swelling’s not going anywhere, that’s one thing the doc said, he said you’ve kind of gotta deal with it, so I’m cool. I’ve been shooting it alright, so I’m not going to mess with it.”
Beal made just 3-of-11 shots from the floor in his first game back from the injury on March 27, but has been on fire since then, averaging 20.3 points per game on .582/.683/1.000 shooting in his last nine outings. He made all six of his attempts from beyond the three-point line in Sunday’s regular season finale that clinched Phoenix’s playoff spot.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- Keon Ellis went undrafted out of Alabama in 2022 and barely played at the NBA level during his first season with the Kings, but he has emerged as a crucial role player in Sacramento in his second year, earning a promotion to the standard roster and a spot in the starting lineup. Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee takes a look at how Ellis has boosted the Kings’ defense and helped make up for the loss of both Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk. “Obviously, when guys go down, it’s hard to just fill in that type of scoring, two guys (Huerter and Monk) who basically average 15 points,” De’Aaron Fox said. “… But I think since they’ve been out, having someone like Keon stepping into that starting lineup and being able to guard the best guys in this league, and doing a great job on guys as well, obviously helps us as a whole.”
- Kai Jones‘ new contract with the Clippers includes a non-guaranteed minimum-salary team option for 2024/25, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. Even if Los Angeles picks up the option this June, Jones’ $2,196,970 salary for next season wouldn’t become guaranteed unless he remains under contract through January 7.
- Last season’s series vs. Denver was a forgettable one for D’Angelo Russell, who averaged 6.3 points per game on 32.3% shooting and lost his starting job in Game 4, but he told reporters he’s not treating the Lakers‘ rematch with the Nuggets differently than he would any other playoff series, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “There’s no extra preparation for me,” Russell said. “Been preparing all year for whoever we would see in the postseason. Obviously, y’all make it a Denver-D-Lo thing, but I’m ready to compete.”