Coaching Rumors: Lue, Popovich, Pistons, Raptors, Udoka
The Bucks and Suns are rumored to be interested in Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue, but he’s still under contract for two more seasons, though only one of those is thought to be guaranteed.
There’s growing skepticism among those close to the coach and the Clippers that a rival team would be able to poach Lue away, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
The Clippers still hope to contend for championships going forward despite another disappointing playoff exit in 2022/23, and owner Steve Ballmer is known to be a “huge fan” of Lue. As Fischer observes, the Bucks and Suns also don’t have much in the form of future first-round picks, which would likely be necessary to acquire Lue — assuming the Clippers would even permit a rival to interview him, and there’s no indication they would — while he’s still under contract.
The Bucks do have their 2029 first-rounder available, but Fischer suggests they’ll likely use it to acquire a player — either this offseason or in the future. Sources tell Fischer that Milwaukee contemplated dealing the pick to try to land Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic ahead of the February trade deadline.
Here are some more coaching rumors from around the NBA:
- Gregg Popovich, the longest-tenured head coach in the league, is expected to stay with the Spurs for as long as he wants to continue coaching, and there’s no indication that the Hall-of-Famer plans to retire next season, especially after San Antonio won the draft lottery. However, Popovich’s contract expired at the end of the season, and he hasn’t signed a new deal yet, sources tell Fischer.
- The fact that the Pistons have yet to hire one of their three coaching finalists has left coaching agents around the league wondering if they’ll reopen their search and consider more candidates, Fischer writes. The three finalists — Kevin Ollie, Charles Lee and Jarron Collins — met with owner Tom Gores last week, Fischer confirms. Detroit is thought to have interest in Monty Williams, who was fired by the Suns last week, so that might explain the holdup. That said, Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com hears from sources that the job is expected to come down to either Ollie or Collins (Twitter link).
- According to Fischer, the Raptors hope to be “blown away” in an interview with one of their long list of coaching candidates. Toronto is believed to be open to an “unconventional” choice. Assistant coaches Jim Sann and Rico Hanes are expected to be retained regardless of who is named head coach, sources tell Fischer.
- Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated hears (via Twitter) that Ime Udoka “wants to do right” by his former Celtics assistants, and will extend those interested an invitation to join him with the Rockets after his unceremonious departure from Boston. Royal Ivey, who worked with Udoka on the Nets, recently joined his staff in Houston.
2023 NBA Offseason Preview: Orlando Magic
The Magic have been the worst team in the NBA over the past decade, recording a 289-512 record in the last 10 seasons. They won fewer than 30 games in six of those campaigns, only finishing above .500 once (42-40), when they lost in the first round of the playoffs in 2018/19.
However, there are plenty of reasons for optimism going forward. For starters, Orlando exceeded external expectations in 2022/23, increasing its year-end win total from 22 to 34.
With two lottery picks in 2023 (sixth and 11th), an extra first-round pick via Denver in 2025, all of their own future firsts, and several extra seconds, the Magic have a nice haul of draft assets. They also have an impressive young core headlined by Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero and standout sophomore Franz Wagner.
The Magic’s Offseason Plan:
If they really wanted to, the Magic could create nearly $60MM in cap room this summer if they choose not to guarantee any of their own salaries and renounce all of their free agents and cap holds (aside from the lottery picks). That’s highly unlikely though.
The far more realistic scenario is they’ll have somewhere in the range of $25-45MM in cap room, depending on what they do with Gary Harris and Jonathan Isaac. Harris’ $13MM contract for next season is fully non-guaranteed, while Isaac — who has played just 11 games over the past three seasons — has a $17.4MM cap hit, of which only $7.6MM is guaranteed.
Markelle Fultz should be a lock to have his full $17MM salary for ‘23/24 guaranteed – he’s only owed $2MM as of now. The former first overall pick played a major role in the Magic turning their season around. After Orlando started 5-16 without him, Fultz appeared in 60 of the team’s 61 remaining games — the Magic had a 29-31 record in those 60 games, losing the lone contest he sat in April.
The young guard has been plagued by injuries throughout his six NBA seasons, only appearing in 191 total games. But he was productive when healthy in ‘22/23, averaging career highs in points (14.0), assists (5.7), rebounds (3.9), steals (1.5), and minutes per game (29.6), as well as field goal percentage (51.4%).
Fultz still struggles from long distance, converting just 31% of his three-pointers on low volume (1.5 attempts per game). However, he’s an explosive and crafty finisher around the rim, is quite accurate on mid-range jumpers (45.8%, which ranked in the 70th percentile, per DunksAndThrees.com), and is a solid defensive player.
There are three reasons why I’m discussing Fultz so extensively. One, if the Magic guarantee his salary, he’ll be eligible for an extension. Two, his outside shooting woes affect the rest of the team, because it’s the biggest roster weakness. Three, it has been floated that Orlando might pursue a veteran point guard with its cap space, with Fred VanVleet being rumored as a target.
Is VanVleet a better player than Fultz right now? Yes. He’s a far more willing – and better – outside shooter than Fultz, even if he’s coming off a highly erratic campaign that saw him post a career-low 34.2% from beyond the arc. He’s also four years older and looked a half step slower on defense in ‘22/23.
VanVleet is rumored to be seeking a contract similar to what Jrue Holiday received a couple years ago, which was $135MM over four years (incentives increased the value a bit). I like VanVleet, and he has outplayed his current contract. But I don’t think he’s worth double Fultz’s salary, particularly with Cole Anthony eligible for a rookie scale extension and Jalen Suggs still having two years left on his rookie contract.
If I were running the Magic, I would rather let those young guards and the rest of the roster continue to develop, and look to add younger wing talent and shooting via the draft and less expensive free agent targets.
Some potential free agent names of interest: Austin Reaves (restricted), Cameron Johnson (restricted), Gary Trent Jr. (player option), Donte DiVincenzo (player option) and Max Strus (unrestricted). Johnson shares positional overlap at forward with Banchero and Wagner, but I don’t think that’s a big deal – he’s great at playing off the ball and is one of the best shooters on the market (the Magic have also shown a willingness to experiment with position-less lineups).
Orlando’s only real rotation player who’s a free agent is Moritz Wagner, who had a solid season as the backup center. The Magic have his Bird rights, so they won’t have to earmark cap room or an exception to re-sign him, assuming they want him back.
Salary Cap Situation
Guaranteed Salary
- Wendell Carter Jr. ($13,050,000)
Paolo Banchero ($11,608,080)- Jonathan Isaac ($7,600,000)
- Note: Partial guarantee. Rest of salary noted below.
- Jalen Suggs ($7,252,080)
- Cole Anthony ($5,539,771)
- Franz Wagner ($5,508,720)
- Chuma Okeke ($5,266,713)
- Markelle Fultz ($2,000,000)
- Note: Partial guarantee. Rest of salary noted below.
- Caleb Houstan ($2,000,000)
- Kevon Harris (two-way)
- Jay Scrubb (two-way)
- Total: $59,825,364
Dead/Retained Salary
- None
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- Michael Carter-Williams ($3,051,144): Bird rights
- Note: Carter-Williams’ salary would remain non-guaranteed even if his option is exercised.
- Note: Carter-Williams’ salary would remain non-guaranteed even if his option is exercised.
- Goga Bitadze ($2,066,585): Non-Bird rights
- Admiral Schofield ($1,997,238): Early Bird rights
- Total: $7,114,967
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Markelle Fultz ($15,000,000)
- Note: Partial guarantee. Fultz’s salary would become fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before June 30.
- Gary Harris ($13,000,000)
- Note: Harris’ salary would become fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before June 30.
- Note: Harris’ salary would become fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before June 30.
- Jonathan Isaac ($9,800,000)
- Note: Partial guarantee.
- Note: Partial guarantee.
- Bol Bol ($2,200,000)
- Note: Bol’s salary would become fully guaranteed if he’s not waived on or before June 30.
- Total: $40,000,000
Restricted Free Agents
- None
Two-Way Free Agents
- None
Draft Picks
- No. 6 overall ($7,137,840)
- No. 11 overall ($4,952,160)
- No. 36 overall (no cap hold)
- Total: $12,090,000
Extension-Eligible Players
- Markelle Fultz (veteran)
- Jonathan Isaac (veteran)
- Cole Anthony (rookie scale)
- Chuma Okeke (rookie scale)
Note: These are players who are either already eligible for an extension or will become eligible before the 2023/24 season begins.
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
- Moritz Wagner ($1,989,698 cap hold): Bird rights
- Arron Afflalo ($1,989,698 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Marreese Speights ($1,989,698 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Ignas Brazdeikis ($1,774,999 cap hold): Early Bird rights
- Vic Law ($1,774,999 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Sindarius Thornwell ($1,774,999 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Total: $11,294,091
Note: The cap holds for the players in italics remain on the Magic’s books from prior seasons because they haven’t been renounced. They can’t be used in a sign-and-trade deal.
Cap Exceptions Available
- Room exception: $7,609,000
Bucks To Interview Will Weaver For Coaching Vacancy
The Bucks plan to interview Will Weaver for their head coaching job, sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
Weaver spent the 2022/23 season as head coach of Paris Basketball of the LNB Pro A, France’s top basketball league. However, after the team’s season concluded, Weaver said he would be departing the organization, according to French outlet L’Equipe.
“In March, the club offered me to stay, to become the general manager,” Weaver said, per Google Translate. “I was honored that they offered me a long-term contract but it was not the right time for me and my family. I have opportunities (to join a staff) in the NBA and that’s where I’ll coach next season.”
A former assistant with the Sixers, Nets and Rockets, Weaver has also had previous head coaching jobs with the G League’s Long Island Nets and the Sydney Kings of Australia’s National Basketball League. He interviewed for the Thunder’s lead coaching job a few years ago.
The Nets and Raptors are among the teams said to have interest in Weaver as an assistant.
According to Fischer, current Portland assistant and former Thunder and Wizards head coach Scott Brooks left a “strong impression” on the Bucks during his interview. Former Lakers coach Frank Vogel is expected to interview for the job this week, sources tell Fischer.
Commissioner Silver “Shocked” By Morant Video
MAY 17: After Silver spoke to Andrews on Tuesday, Morant issued a statement through his representatives addressing the recent viral video, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.
“I know I’ve disappointed a lot of people who have supported me,” Morant said. “This is a journey and I recognize there is more work to do. My words may not mean much right now, but I take full accountability for my actions. I’m committed to continuing to work on myself.”
MAY 16: In a TV appearance at the draft lottery Tuesday evening, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said he was “shocked” by the latest incident of Ja Morant appearing to waive a gun on social media, he told ESPN’s Malika Andrews (Twitter video link).
“Honestly, I was shocked when I saw this weekend that video,” Silver said. “Now, we’re in the process of investigating it, and we’ll figure out exactly what happened to the best we can. The video is a bit grainy and all that, but I’m assuming the worst.”
The incident came less than two-and-a-half months after Morant flashed a firearm at a Denver-area strip club while streaming on Instagram Live. That video, which immediately prompted an investigation from the NBA, eventually led to an eight-game suspension.
“We talked directly about the consequences first,” Silver said of his conversation with Morant following the first incident (hat tip to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon). “Before we got to a subsequent potential to have done something wrong, we were very focused on the misconduct that was in front of us at the time. Frankly, most of our conversation was about how incredibly serious the first incident was of waving a firearm on social media.
“Again, the consequences there — an eight-game suspension — was pretty serious and something that he, at least to me, seemed to take incredibly seriously in that time. And we spoke for a long time about not just the consequences that could have on his career, but the safety issues around it — (Morant) could’ve injured, maimed, killed himself, someone else with an act like that — and also the acknowledgment that he’s a star.
“He has an incredibly huge following, and (we discussed) my concern — and I thought he shared with me — that millions, if not tens of millions, of kids globally would have seen him do something that was celebrating in a way that act of using a firearm in that fashion.”
Morant’s live stream in March was part of a series of troubling off-court incidents allegedly involving the 23-year-old, who punched a 17-year-old during a pickup game last summer, was accused of threatening a security guard at a Memphis mall, and was reportedly involved in a confrontation with members of the Pacers’ traveling party after a January game.
Morant didn’t face any criminal charges for the March incident and almost certainly won’t face any for this video either, but the NBA has significant latitude to fine or suspend its players for conduct it deems detrimental to the league.
The most recent reporting has indicated that Morant, who was suspended from all team activities by the Grizzlies after the latest video, is likely to face a much harsher punishment this time around.
Wizards Interview Trajan Langdon For Front Office Job
The Wizards have formally interviewed Trajan Langdon for their head of basketball operations vacancy, sources tell Josh Robbins and David Aldridge of The Athletic (Twitter link).
A former first-round pick who spent three seasons in the NBA and several overseas, Langdon has been the Pelicans‘ general manager since 2019. He started his front office career with San Antonio as a scout from 2012-15, had a one-year stop in Cleveland, and was an assistant GM with Brooklyn from 2016-19.
Langdon currently works under Pelicans VP of basketball operations David Griffin. The two have a longstanding work relationship, as Langdon was hired by Griffin when he was running the Cavs’ front office.
The 47-year-old was the first Alaskan to play in the NBA when he was drafted by Cleveland in 1999. Langdon was first identified as a potential candidate by Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today after the Wizards fired president of basketball operations and general manager Tommy Sheppard.
Ava Wallace of The Washington Post reported a couple weeks ago that the Wizards had spoken to Langdon, but cautioned that the team was still in the “information-gathering” stage. Bucks assistant GM Milt Newton was another candidate Wallace mentioned.
And-Ones: Trade Market, Front Offices, Coaches, EuroLeague, More
Tonight’s NBA draft lottery is highly anticipated due to the hype surrounding projected No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama. However, some league executives are more focused on the trade implications for the team that lands the top selection, noting that quality centers could be dealt to free up playing time and address other parts of the roster.
“I’m as interested in what comes after the lottery as the lottery itself,” one general manager told Sean Deveney of Heavy.com. “This could be a tidal wave after it gets decided.”
For example, if the Pistons land the top pick — which they have a 14% chance to do — an Eastern Conference executive speculated that Detroit could get an impressive return for Jalen Duren, who was recently named to the All-Rookie Second Team. However, it’s worth noting that the Pistons have shown no desire to move Duren to this point after trading for him during last June’s draft.
“They probably could get a top-10 pick for him this year,” the executive said. “He has a lot of Robert Williams qualities, and he is like Williams because it might take a little time to polish. You can’t really play him and Wemby together, so he’d have to go. It would be crazy to see the market on him, he is still mostly upside.”
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Twenty-six clubs have been eliminated from title contention, but that doesn’t mean anyone is taking time off. In an interesting article for The Athletic, former league executives Seth Partnow and John Hollinger discuss the busiest time of the year for NBA front offices — the stretch that starts with the draft combine, which is currently ongoing, and runs through the first couple weeks of free agency.
- Three of the past four championship-winning coaches are no longer with their former teams. The recent spate of dismissals — including Nick Nurse, Mike Budenholzer, Monty Williams and Doc Rivers — has left a negative imprint on some of the longest-tenured coaches, as Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press writes. “It’s disturbing,” said Erik Spoelstra, who has been the Heat’s head coach since 2008. “Doc’s a Hall of Famer. … There’s only so many teams that can advance. It’s just a really hard thing to do. Yeah, it’s been a tough couple weeks, hearing the news of just some really surprising firings.”
- The All-EuroLeague First and Second Teams were recently announced (Twitter links), and several former NBA players made the cut. The First Team features Walter Tavares, Mathias Lessort, Lorenzo Brown, Sasha Vezenkov and Dzanan Musa, while Darius Thompson, Kevin Punter, Nikola Mirotic, Wade Baldwin and Mike James comprise the Second Team. A recent rumor indicated that Vezenkov, whose NBA rights are controlled by the Kings, is seriously mulling the possibility of coming stateside and making his debut next season.
- Leonard Solms at ESPN.com profiles Samkelo Cele, who is hoping to become the second South African-born player to reach the NBA (the first was Steve Nash). Cele is currently competing in the Basketball Africa League.
Matthew Dellavedova Agrees To Two-Year Deal With Melbourne United
Free agent guard Matthew Dellavedova, who played for the Kings in 2022/23 but was unavailable in the playoffs after undergoing finger surgery, has agreed to a two-year contract with Melbourne United, Australia’s National Basketball League announced in a press release.
A nine-year NBA veteran, Dellavedova spent most of his career with Cleveland, winning a championship with the Cavs in ’15/16. He also played for the Bucks from 2016-18.
The 32-year-old played for Melbourne United in his native Australia during the ’21/22 season, so it’s a reunion between the two sides.
“I’m really excited to be coming back to Melbourne United,” Dellavedova said. “I want to come back and win a championship here. It’s a great club that has a really strong culture and I’m happy to be back a part of it.
“I had a lot of fun the year I was here. There’s excitement about getting to play with a lot of those same guys we had success with a year ago. It was a great group of guys, some I knew and some I grew close with.”
Dellavedova was on a minimum-salary contract this season for Sacramento and was mostly used for emergency depth, appearing in 32 games for an average of just 6.7 minutes per contest. He has a shared history with Mike Brown, having played for the Kings’ head coach with the Cavs when he was a rookie.
Long known for his hustle, competitiveness and determination, Dellavedova holds career averages of 5.2 points and 3.5 assists in 479 regular season games (93 starts, 19.4 minutes).
2023 NBA Offseason Preview: Washington Wizards
The Wizards haven’t had a 50-win season since 1978/79, when they lost in the NBA Finals after winning the title the year before. In fact, they’ve only won more than 45 games twice over the lengthy period since then — both in the mid-2010s when John Wall-led teams made the Eastern Conference Semifinals a few times.
Things went about as expected in ’22/23. Washington’s over/under entering the season was 35.5 wins, and the team won exactly 35 for the second consecutive season.
There were some positive developments — Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis had career years, while Corey Kispert turned into a solid rotation player in year two — but they were mostly offset by disappointments in other areas. Bradley Beal was plagued by injuries for the second straight season and lottery pick Johnny Davis spent most of his rookie season in the G League, struggling when he did get NBA minutes.
The Wizards, who finished 22nd in the league in offense and 21st in defense, don’t really have an identity on either end of the court (they were 21st in offense and 25th in defense in ‘21/22).
Where the Wizards go from here is an open question. They don’t have the types of young players teams typically build around, nor the cache of future draft picks (they actually owe a protected first to the Knicks). Getting lucky in the draft lottery would be a good start – the Wizards have the eighth-best odds at landing the No. 1 overall pick and a 28.9% chance at a top-four selection.
The Wizards’ Offseason Plan:
What many league observers think the Wizards should do and what they actually do are often at odds. Maybe that will change when the team hires a new head of basketball operations after firing Tommy Sheppard.
Either way, it’s an important offseason for the Wizards. Kuzma has already said he plans to turn down his $13MM player option to secure a larger payday. Will Porzingis decline his $36MM option as well? Perhaps. There were reportedly “serious” talks regarding an extension a couple months ago, but that was before the front office change. It’s impossible to know how a new regime would feel about that.
Porzingis had an outstanding season, making a positive impact on both sides of the ball. He’s only 27 years old, so he’s theoretically in his prime. He has also missed extended time due to injuries throughout his career. Re-signing him is a risk, but Washington doesn’t have a ready-made replacement on its roster.
If both players decline their options and the Wizards renounce their other free agents and cap holds (except their first-round pick), they’d have about $30MM in cap room to work with. I don’t see which players they could target with that money that would be better than Kuzma and Porzingis. A sign-and-trade involving one (or both) theoretically could work if Washington wants reshuffle the deck.
Former first-round pick Deni Avdija will be eligible for a rookie scale extension as well. He has a good feel for the game and is a solid defender, but his jump shot is very erratic. Trading Rui Hachimura freed up playing time for Avdija, and he played well down the stretch. Still, it’s hard to envision any rush to extend him unless it’s a team-friendly rate.
Perhaps the biggest question facing the Wizards hasn’t changed: Is Beal a star worth building around? There are multiple seasons worth of evidence indicating the answer is no.
The issue is that he’s coming off two injury-riddled seasons and still has four years and more than $200MM left on his contract — his value is arguably at its lowest point in years. Washington would likely get pennies on the dollar in return for the veteran guard unless they find a team that thinks Beal would push it over the hump.
Would Philadelphia be interested in a Beal for Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris trade? Harris’ deal is expiring and Maxey is going to command a significant payday soon, as he’s about to enter the final season of his rookie deal. Is that enough of a return for Beal?
For some inexplicable reason, the Wizards gave Beal a full no-trade clause when he signed his contract last summer, a rarity in the NBA. So even if they find a suitable deal, he’d still have to approve it.
Locking in an expensive long-term core of Beal, Kuzma and Porzingis isn’t going to move the needle toward winning in any meaningful way. They’re all good players individually, but not good enough to be a top-three trio on a serious contender.
There are players with positive value on the roster, though they’re not going to return a haul of assets. Monte Morris and Delon Wright are quality backups that lots of teams would like to have, for example, and they’re entering the final years of their contracts.
There are no easy answers for this team. Owner Ted Leonsis hasn’t shown any appetite for a temporary tank despite the mediocre product of the past handful of years. The foundation is rickety, and the Wizards haven’t had success drafting in the 9-15 range over that span.
I don’t envy the person who takes over the front office of this franchise. Things can change quickly in the NBA, but it’s hard to see how the Wizards get significantly better without getting even worse than they have been lately.
Salary Cap Situation
Guaranteed Salary
Bradley Beal ($46,741,590)- Daniel Gafford ($12,402,000)
- Monte Morris ($9,800,926)
- Delon Wright ($8,195,122)
- Deni Avdija ($6,263,188)
- Johnny Davis ($5,050,800)
- Corey Kispert ($3,722,040)
- Anthony Gill ($1,997,238)
- Isaiah Todd ($1,836,090)
- Xavier Cooks ($1,719,864)
- Jordan Goodwin ($300,000)
- Note: Partial guarantee. Rest of salary noted below.
- Quenton Jackson (two-way)
- Total: $98,028,858
Dead/Retained Salary
- None
Player Options
- Kristaps Porzingis ($36,016,200): Bird rights
- Kyle Kuzma ($13,000,000): Bird rights
- Total: $49,016,200
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Jordan Goodwin ($1,627,896)
- Note: Partial guarantee. Goodwin’s partial guarantee increases to $963,948 if he isn’t waived on or before September 1.
- Total: $1,627,896
Restricted Free Agents
- None
Two-Way Free Agents
Draft Picks
- No. 8 overall ($5,969,400)
- Note: This is only a placeholder until the draft order is determined via the lottery.
- No. 42 overall (no cap hold)
- Note: This pick would move to No. 41 if the Thunder end up with a higher first-round pick than the Bulls via the lottery.
- No. 57 overall (no cap hold)
- Total: $5,969,400
Extension-Eligible Players
- Kristaps Porzingis (veteran)
- Kyle Kuzma (veteran)
- Monte Morris (veteran)
- Isaiah Todd (veteran)
- Deni Avdija (rookie scale)
Note: These are players who are either already eligible for an extension or will become eligible before the 2023/24 season begins.
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
- Ian Mahinmi ($23,175,077 cap hold): Bird rights
- Kendrick Nunn ($6,825,000 cap hold): Early Bird rights
- Taj Gibson ($1,989,698 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Ty Lawson ($1,989,698 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Shabazz Napier ($1,989,698 cap hold): Early Bird rights
- Tomas Satoransky ($1,989,698 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Ramon Sessions ($1,989,698 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Johnathan Williams ($1,774,999 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Cassius Winston ($1,774,999 cap hold): Early Bird rights
- Total: $43,498,565
Note: The cap holds for the players in italics remain on the Wizards’ books from prior seasons because they haven’t been renounced. They can’t be used in a sign-and-trade deal.
Cap Exceptions Available
- Mid-level exception: $12,220,600
- Bi-annual exception: $4,448,000
- Trade exception: $6,263,188
Note: The Wizards would lose access to the full mid-level exception and the bi-annual exception if their team salary surpasses the tax apron. If the Wizards go under the cap to use room, they’ll lose access to all of these exceptions and will gain access to the room exception.
Warriors Rumors: Draymond, Core Trio, Poole, More
While the future of president of basketball operations Bob Myers remains uncertain, the trio of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are still likely to be on the Warriors‘ roster in 2023/24, sources tell Marc Stein at Substack.
That aligns with reporting from Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, who hears that the franchise is “in no rush” to break up the core that has won four championships together.
After Green famously punched Jordan Poole during training camp, it seemed unlikely the former Defensive Player of the Year, who holds a $27.6MM player option for next season, would remain in the team’s long-term plans.
However, he won back the team’s respect over the course of the season, according to Kawakami, who says that Curry has long considered Green his “first pick” as a teammate. Kawakami also notes that Green’s value on the open market may be limited and he’s “more valuable to the Warriors and with the Warriors than anywhere else.”
Thompson, meanwhile, will be entering the final year of his contract and eligible for a veteran extension, but there’s no indication the team has any plans to trade him at this point — quite the opposite.
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- Green has said he’s undecided on whether nor not he’ll pick up his player option, but either way, he wants to “be a Warrior for life.” A report from The Athletic indicated that the team intends to discuss a multiyear contract with the big man, though it didn’t specify if that would be a new deal or an extension if he exercises his option. It sounds like it might be the former — sources tell Logan Murdock of The Ringer that the Warriors would be open to a multiyear contract if Green declines his option.
- Murdock’s story is full of interesting details on Golden State’s season. He writes that not only did Green punching Poole negatively impact their own relationship — Poole viewed Green as a mentor during his first three seasons — but it also deepened the divide between the old guard and the team’s young players. “I don’t have no answer for you,” Poole said of his relationship with Green. “Other than that, we was just on the court and teammates, and we was out there trying to win games. What I do recall saying at the beginning of the season is that, ‘We’re coming. We’re going to come out here. We’re going to play on the court. We’re going to try to win a championship.’ We were teammates. It’s just business, honestly. And that’s really all it was, it is, it has been. It’s just been business. It’s been basketball.”
- The free agency departures of Otto Porter, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Gary Payton II (who was later re-acquired at the trade deadline) also played a factor in the divide, according to Murdock. Not only did having the veterans stabilize the rotation, but they held the respect of both the old and young players. This season, the young players grew frustrated with their lack of minutes, Murdock writes. “That’s the normal NBA, and we haven’t had to deal with normal NBA,” Andre Iguodala told Murdock last month. “We’ve been in fantasyland for so long, and this year was more like the real NBA.”
- Poole was criticized throughout the season — and particularly in the postseason — for his shot selection, turnovers and poor defense. Yet after the Game 5 victory against the Lakers, Curry told Murdock that Poole was “the key” to bridging the present and the future, showing the Warriors still have faith in the 23-year-old.
- Poole’s future is reportedly up in the air, as the team might explore the trade market for him if it decides to make a cost-cutting move with the new CBA about to kick in. “I don’t know why I wouldn’t be [back],” Poole told Murdock. “It wasn’t a bad year. I mean, career highs in two categories. I was able to make history with Klay and Steph. My first game-winner. It was a lot of good things that happened this season. It wasn’t a bad season. Yes, I’m in the fabric. Yes, I belong here in this organization, bridging the gap. And I’m a young guy who was drafted here. We won a championship last year, and we have another chance to do it again. And I don’t know why anybody else would feel otherwise. I don’t think anybody is thinking like that.”
Bob Myers’ Future With Warriors Remains Uncertain
Warriors president of basketball operations Bob Myers, whose contract expires at the end of next month, “plans to take a couple of weeks” to determine what he wants to do in the future, telling ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that he’s “torn” on returning largely due to his close relationships with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and head coach Steve Kerr (Twitter video link).
That aligns with a recent report from Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, who heard from sources that Myers was going to take some time before coming to a decision.
One interesting part of Shelburne’s report that got lost in the shuffle was that owner Joe Lacob pitched lucrative contract offers to Myers that would have given him the flexibility to take time off if he so desired. Reading between the lines, it’s clear that the team is well aware of Myers’ career uncertainty.
Myers is the most likely of that longtime core group to depart the Warriors, sources tell Marc Stein in his latest article at Substack. There’s a “strong expectation” within the organization that if Myers doesn’t re-sign, he’s more likely to take “at least” the 2023/24 season off to spend time with family rather than join a rival front office, according to Stein.
A two-time Executive of the Year, Myers is a former college basketball player (UCLA) and sports agent who has been an executive with the Warriors since 2011, winning four championships. A recent report from The Athletic indicated that VP of basketball operations Mike Dunleavy Jr. may take over for Myers if he decides not to return.