Central Notes: Budenholzer, Pistons, Duren, P. Williams
Mike Budenholzer‘s job status appears to be tenuous, but the Bucks are expected to take their time before determining what to do with their head coach, who still has two years left on his contract, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on NBA Today (YouTube link).
According to Wojnarowski, the Bucks are in “shock” over their first-round loss to the Heat and have been known to be patient under general manager Jon Horst. He also points out that there’s a new ownership group in place, which may complicate matters — Jimmy and Dee Haslam recently bought Marc Lasry‘s stake in the Bucks, which was thought to be about 25 percent.
“I think this is a Milwaukee organization that is going to take their time,” Wojnarowski said. “Because here’s the thing… you’ve gotta know who you’re going to bring in. Who is out there at a championship level that you can bring in that’s better than what you know you have? That’s a very short list. … I don’t think there will be a quick resolution in terms of making a decision on Mike Budenholzer’s future.”
Here’s more from the Central:
- The Pistons finished with the worst record in the NBA in 2022/23 and will have roughly $30MM in cap space this summer. Which of their possible free agents will be retained, and which will be headed out of town? James L. Edwards III tackles that subject for The Athletic, writing that only Isaiah Livers‘ spot with the team is secure — Detroit holds a $1.8MM option for the young forward next season. Of the remaining players who either have team options or are set to hit unrestricted free agency, Edwards places the lowest odds (0-10 percent) on Cory Joseph coming back.
- Many thought Jalen Duren would spend a good chunk of ’22/23 in the G League — he was the youngest player in the league and was considered a fairly raw prospect. Instead, the 19-year-old center had an excellent rookie season for the Pistons and appears firmly entrenched as a foundational piece, writes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. “That’s one guy I won’t ever put a ceiling on,” GM Troy Weaver said after the season. “As you keep watching him, you just see different things. … He’s a very smart young man. Got tremendous gifts. He’s got a chance to be a big-time player.” As Langlois notes, Duren led all rookies with 3.4 offensive rebounds and 8.9 total rebounds per game. He also averaged 9.1 points while shooting 64.8% from the floor in 67 games (24.9 minutes).
- There were peaks and valleys during Patrick Williams‘ third season with the Bulls, but the former lottery pick hopes to have a long NBA career and is focused on improving for next season, according to Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. “I felt a lot more comfortable, a lot more aggressive but (still) not who I want to be,” Williams said. “That’s pretty much what it comes down to. You’ve got to put the work in to be who you want to be in this league. Obviously, at 21 you’re not going to be the person you’re going to be obviously when you’re 31. … I learned a lot about (myself) personally, about us as a team, about the game, learning how to read the game, how to really dissect the game. When I say I didn’t live up to what I wanted the season to be for me, it wasn’t like it was a terrible season. It’s just there’s more work to be done.”
Grizzlies’ Luke Kennard Out For Game 6 With Sore Shoulder
Grizzlies sharpshooter Luke Kennard will miss Friday’s pivotal Game 6 against the Lakers due to left shoulder soreness, the team announced (via Twitter).
The veteran guard had been listed as questionable, though he didn’t take any shots while media members were present during Friday’s shootaround, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Head coach Taylor Jenkins later said Kennard was “still dealing with some soreness” and was a game-time decision, but obviously he has now been ruled out (Twitter link via Mirjam Swanson of The Southern California News Group).
It’s a big loss for Memphis. Kennard, who led the league in three-point percentage (49.4%) for the second consecutive season, sustained a stinger in Wednesday’s Game 5 and exited the contest early. He initially sounded optimistic about his chances of playing tonight.
The 26-year-old’s counting stats through five games in the first-round series are modest: 7.2 points and 4.0 rebounds in 21.4 minutes per game. However, he’s shooting 50% from deep, and the attention he draws has been key for the Grizzlies — they’re plus-16.7 points per 100 possessions when he’s on the court, versus minus-12.8 when he’s off, per NBA.com.
As Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes, Dillon Brooks, Tyus Jones, John Konchar and David Roddy — who have all been struggling behind the arc — could be candidates for more playing time with Kennard sidelined. Jenkins also said Ziaire Williams may receive a look, according to Cole, though the second-year wing has played just two total minutes in the series.
Raptors Notes: Hammon, Shooting, VanVleet, Trent
The Raptors were reportedly granted permission to speak with Becky Hammon for their head coaching vacancy. Hammon, a longtime former Spurs assistant who led the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces to a championship and won Coach of the Year in her first season as a head coach in 2022, has interviewed for multiple NBA head coaching jobs in the past.
Assuming she’s interested in the position, Doug Smith of The Toronto Star believes the Raptors should hire her to be their new head coach. Smith points to Hammon’s wealth of experience, strong player development background, championship pedigree at multiple levels of play, and Hall of Fame résumé as reasons why she’s the best candidate for the job.
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- Shooting has been a primary weakness of the roster the past couple seasons. How can they acquire more of it? Smith explores that topic in another story for The Toronto Star, writing that it will be difficult for the Raptors to acquire shooters in free agency due to their financial constraints. Internal development is always a hope, but trading a member of the core is probably more realistic. Another “long shot” option could be if a star player asks out, Smith adds. “At the end of the season, there’s always a player that wants to move or wants to change,” president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri said. “That’s the new free agency basically. Yes, everybody wake up to that. Everybody says, ‘Will free agents come?’ Free agency doesn’t happen anymore really. The new free agency is players change teams.”
- In a mailbag article for The Athletic, Eric Koreen states his belief that Toronto will retain guard Fred VanVleet, who is expected to decline his $22.8MM player option for 2023/24 and become a free agent. Koreen notes that advanced stats remained high on VanVleet’s impact this season despite inconsistent shooting, adding that the Raptors don’t have any viable alternatives on the roster to replace him.
- As for the player most likely to be on the move this summer, that could be Gary Trent Jr., according to Koreen. Like VanVleet, Trent could be a free agent if he declines his $18.8MM player option. Bringing back all three of VanVleet, Trent and Jakob Poeltl would almost certainly push the team into the luxury tax, and that may be untenable with the current roster. Ujiri recently praised Poeltl, calling him a “championship piece.”
Heat Notes: Oladipo, Butler, Love, Adebayo, Lowry
Guard Victor Oladipo underwent successful surgery on Thursday to repair the torn patellar tendon in his left knee, the Heat announced (via Twitter). There’s no recovery timeline yet, per the team.
While that’s the official stance, there’s a “hope and belief” that Oladipo, who turns 31 years old next week, will return to action at some point during the 2023/24 season, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link).
Oladipo holds a $9.45MM player option for next season, and another major knee injury essentially guaranteed that he will exercise it, as he’s highly unlikely to find any offers that lucrative in free agency.
The veteran guard appeared in 42 games (26.3 MPG) for the Heat in ’22/23, his most games played since ’17/18, when he made his first All-Star team. He averaged 10.7 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 3.5 APG and 1.4 SPG on .397/.330/.747 shooting this season.
Here’s more on the Heat:
- Jimmy Butler won’t wither under the bright lights of the postseason and Madison Square Garden like the Cavaliers did, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News, who refers to the Heat star as a “worthy enemy” for the Knicks in their second-round series, which begins Sunday afternoon. “A lot of guys play the game of basketball in this league. He competes to win. That’s a different language,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said of Butler. “He’s desperate and urgent and maniacal and sometimes psychotic about the will to try to win. He’ll make everybody in the building feel it. And that’s why he is us and we are him. That’s the way we operate as well. The psychotic meets the psychotic. And it gets a little bit whatever.”
- The Cavaliers, Kevin Love‘s former team, were eliminated by New York on the same night the Heat defeated the top-seeded Bucks to advance, notes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Love reached a buyout with the Cavs after his role was reduced, and Cleveland’s bench struggled once again in Game 5 just as Love had his best game of the Bucks series, Jackson adds. Love is understandably focused on his current club. “We’re resilient,” Love said. “We have guys that do a lot of stuff that may or may not show up in the stat sheet but we’re all about winning. We all bring the ego that got us here but for the betterment of the team.”
- Bam Adebayo‘s left hamstring strain is improving, Spoelstra told reporters, including Jackson (subscriber link). “He just got done with a workout,” Spoelstra said Friday. “He feels much better.” Adebayo was hampered by the injury throughout the five-game series versus Milwaukee, though he was able to play in every game.
- Point guard Kyle Lowry was moved to a reserve role after dealing with a knee injury, and Spoelstra said the Heat decided to stick with Gabe Vincent in the starting lineup for “stability and consistency,” writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “He has been great about it,” Spoelstra said of Lowry coming off the bench. “He is all about winning right now. He’s playing a massive role with us right now. But that’s why he is who he is. If you’re all about winning, you’ll sacrifice if you need to, take on a little bit of a different role, if you need to, if it makes sense for winning. You can always look at it like he’s a sixth starter.”
Mike Budenholzer’s Job With Bucks In Jeopardy?
Head coach Mike Budenholzer has led the Bucks to a 271-120 regular season record in his five seasons at the helm, which is the best mark in the NBA over that span.
Under Budenholzer, the Bucks won their first championship in 50 years in 2020/21. Milwaukee once again had the best record in the league this season at 58-24.
However, Budenholzer’s late-game decision-making in the team’s first-round loss to the Heat has been called into question. He didn’t use a timeout in the middle of a 13-0 run by the Heat at the end of Game 4.
He also didn’t use his final timeout to advance the ball with the game tied with 0.5 seconds left at the end of regulation in Game 5, or use one at the end of overtime with 11 seconds left down two points — both possessions culminated in the Bucks failing to get a shot off.
As Eric Nehm of The Athletic writes, Budenholzer also continued to use Jrue Holiday to defend Jimmy Butler in the final two games with Giannis Antetokounmpo back in the lineup, even though putting the two-time MVP on Butler is partly how the Bucks swept the Heat in the playoffs two years ago. Butler was great all series, but particularly in Games 4 and 5, when he averaged 49.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.0 block on .590/.333/.741 shooting in 43.4 minutes.
“Out of respect, you gotta let the coach make that adjustment,” Antetokounmpo said of guarding Butler. “We have our best defender on him. There are conversations with Jrue. Whenever he gets tired, I can take him, but he’s so competitive. He plays so hard. He wants to take the challenge. But at the end of the day, I wish I could guard him more, for sure.”
When Nehm asked Budenholzer if he viewed the season as a failure, he framed it in slightly different terms.
“This team has incredibly high expectations,” Budenholzer said. “(General manager) Jon Horst has put together an amazing roster. The ownership has done what they’re supposed to do. We made a push, we were the No. 1 seed, but all that matters is the playoffs.
“And so, I think we’re just disappointed. I would not use that word (failure). We’re disappointed, we’re frustrated. It hurts. But I said it all year, we love this team, we love these guys, I believe in ’em, we believe in ’em, we didn’t get it done tonight. So, to me, disappointed, hurt, frustrated, I think is more characteristic of how we feel about tonight.”
People around the league think Budenholzer will eventually be fired following the five-game series, according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, who said on his podcast that he believes that’s the most likely outcome.
“There’s some losses for which there’s just no going back,” Lowe said (hat tip to RealGM). “You cannot come back the same team. And the Bucks cannot come back the same team from this. I don’t know how it will go…
“League insiders, you don’t really have to be an insider, but league insiders are extremely skeptical that Mike Budenholzer can return as head coach of the Bucks after this. He has, according to [Adrian Wojnarowski], his last extension which happened after they won the title runs through the ’24/25 season, so he has two years left. I just don’t see any coming back from it. It’s just logic.
“I think the league insiders are going to be right. I just don’t see any other way.”
Wolves Notes: Edwards, McDaniels, Reid, Gobert, Finch, Connelly
As former first-round picks entering their fourth seasons, Timberwolves wings Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels will be eligible for rookie scale extensions this summer. President of basketball operations Tim Connelly didn’t hesitate when asked if the team would commit to the two young players, tweets Chris Hine of The Star Tribune.
When the Wolves are permitted to have extension discussions with Edwards and McDaniels, both players will have “really, really nice offers with a lot of money in their inbox,” Connelly said.
Edwards is highly likely to receive a rookie scale max extension after emerging as the team’s best player in 2022/23, while McDaniels could potentially get a nine-figure offer himself — particularly with the addition of a fifth year on non-max rookie extensions — following a career season.
Here’s more on the Wolves:
- Edwards’ attorney released a statement saying the guard intends to fight the “baseless” assault charges he’s facing in Denver, Hine writes for The Star Tribune. “With the game over, Anthony’s exit from the court was partially obstructed by a chair, which he moved and set down three steps later,” attorney Harvey Steinberg said via Klutch Sports, Edwards’ agency. “As video of the incident confirms, Anthony did not swing the chair at anyone and of course did not intend to hurt anyone. Despite these innocent facts, the Denver Police Department inexplicably chose to charge Anthony with two counts of misdemeanor assault. Anthony intends to vigorously defend against these baseless charges.”
- Both Connelly and head coach Chris Finch said that bringing back reserve big man Naz Reid will be a top priority for the Wolves, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link). Reid will be an unrestricted free agent this summer if he doesn’t sign an extension. The 23-year-old averaged career highs in points per game (11.5), rebounds (4.9) and field goal percentage (53.7%), but missed the end of the regular season and postseason after fracturing his left wrist, which required surgery.
- Center Rudy Gobert has been a mainstay for the French national team in international play, but he says he’s not sure if he’ll compete in the World Cup, which starts in late August, per Krawczynski (Twitter link). The three-time Defensive Player of the Year added that he wants to “come back like I want to have the best year of my career next season. I know that this summer I’m going to put myself in position that I’ve never put myself in before.”
- It certainly sounds like Finch’s job will be safe entering next season, as Connelly called the coach and his staff “elite,” tweets Krawczynski. As for the rumors linking Connelly to the Wizards‘ front office opening, he says he’s “pretty committed to the Minnesota Timberwolves right now” and is focused on advancing in the playoffs and building for the future (Twitter video link via SneakerReporter, who covers the Wolves).
Clippers Notes: George, Kawhi, Future, Westbrook
Despite a disappointing first-round playoff exit that saw Paul George (right knee sprain) and Kawhi Leonard (torn right meniscus) sidelined with injuries, the Clippers remain committed to their star duo, a person with knowledge of the situation tells Mark Medina of Sportsnaut.com.
As Medina writes, both players have missed significant time due to injuries since the Clippers acquired them in the 2019 offseason, but they are under contract through at least 2023/24, with player options for ’24/25. The Clippers still believe George and Leonard are in the prime of their careers and are “enamored” with their ability to play both ends of the court.
Here’s more on the Clippers:
- Leonard is still exploring his options with team doctors to determine whether or not he’ll need surgery for his meniscus tear, according to Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times, who reports that the process could take a while. Greif points out that the Clippers will have a challenging offseason because they’re projected to be well over the luxury tax again and three of their veteran forwards (Marcus Morris, Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington) had inconsistent seasons, making them difficult to trade.
- Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times believes the Clippers should trade Leonard or George, or perhaps even both, arguing that their inability to stay on the court has made them more detrimental than beneficial. Plaschke considers the Clippers legitimate contenders when both players are healthy and praises the organization as a whole, in particular owner Steve Ballmer, but thinks all of that is ultimately irrelevant when Leonard and George simply don’t play enough games for it to matter.
- Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca makes the opposite case, arguing that the Clippers should stick with Leonard because he is perhaps the most dominant postseason performer in the world when healthy. Grange believes Leonard’s desire to win championships is undeniable, pointing to Toronto’s title run in 2019 as evidence.
- George, who turns 33 next week, believes he can be productive for several more seasons, writes Law Murray of The Athletic. “I think I got a lot of good years in me, I know Kawhi thinks he’s got a lot of good years in him,” George said before Game 5. “I mean, I’m not going to put any pressure on that anytime soon. The only thing I can do is continue to just work on my game, work on myself and just try to be available as much as possible. … It hurts to not play and watch the guys put it all in the line and not be able to do the same. It’s very frustrating, and it sucks. It really does suck.”
- In another article for The Athletic, Murray writes that guard Russell Westbrook made a positive impact on many people within the organization during his few months with the Clippers. His strong playoff showing may convince a rival team to offer him more money in free agency than the Clippers are able to, so retaining him might be difficult unless he’s willing to take a discount, says Murray.
Heat Notes: Martin, D. Robinson, Adebayo
Caleb Martin was removed from the Heat‘s starting lineup when they signed Kevin Love on the buyout market. He was productive in both roles, and has been a major difference-maker thus far in their first-round series against Milwaukee, as Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald details (subscriber link).
Through four games (28.0 MPG) against the Bucks, Martin is averaging 13.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 2.3 APG and 1.3 SPG on a stellar .643/.467/.846 shooting line. According to Chiang, Martin leads all playoff players in plus/minus at plus-75, and he was particularly effective in Game 4’s fourth-quarter comeback, recording 10 points, five rebounds and a steal without missing a shot in the final frame.
“How many games can you have said that about him this year?” head coach Erik Spoelstra said when asked about Martin’s impactful playoff performances in the series. “That’s the kind of X-factor that he is. He has just a burst of energy and effort where you feel him immediately. He was really good for us as a starter. But I think as a bench guy, it just gives that instant change of energy that I think fits very well with that unit.”
For his part, the 27-year-old forward said he feels comfortable in high-pressure situations.
“Any way I can contribute,” Martin said. “Most of the time, I know it’s going to be on the defensive end. So to be able to come in and knock down timely shots when I needed to was big. I just felt comfortable in those moments.”
Here’s more on the Heat, who lead the series three games to one entering Wednesday’s Game 5:
- Duncan Robinson was an afterthought for much of the 2022/23 season, but he has emerged as a key contributor in the playoffs, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Robinson only played 24-plus minutes in nine regular season games during his 42 appearances, averaging 16.5 MPG. But he has played 24-plus minutes in three straight games, averaging 14.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG and 2.0 APG with a scorching hot .682/.750/1.000 shooting line over that span. “Our staff and team is yelling at me on the shots I don’t shoot,” said Robinson, who turned 29 over the weekend. “So that’s a pretty freeing place to be between the ears, just knowing you got to go out there and fulfill your job to the best of your ability.” Robinson has gotten the opportunity for more playing time in part due to Tyler Herro breaking two fingers on his right hand, which required surgery.
- Bam Adebayo, an All-Star for the second time this season, has been listed on the team’s injury report throughout the series with a strained left hamstring. While it isn’t severe enough to prevent him from playing, the starting center says he’s receiving around-the-clock treatment on the injury, Winderman writes in another story. “Constant treatment, 24 hours,” said Adebayo, who sat out Miami’s Wednesday morning shootaround. “In the treatment room, three, possibly four times a day. And just trying to make sure I’m healthy enough to play and keep playing.” Adebayo added that he wasn’t sure when he first sustained the strain. The 25-year-old was listed as probable for Game 5 before being upgraded to available.
- In case you missed it, Victor Oladipo will likely have surgery later this week to repair his torn left patellar tendon, which he suffered in Game 2. There’s optimism he could return early next season, assuming the procedure and his rehab go well.
Knicks’ Julius Randle Re-Sprains Left Ankle In Game 5
Forward Julius Randle missed the final five games of the regular season following a left ankle sprain. Unfortunately, he re-sprained the same ankle in Wednesday’s Game 5 against Cleveland, the Knicks announced (via Twitter).
Randle appeared to be in considerable pain after landing on Caris LeVert‘s foot with 1:17 remaining in the first half, tweets Steve Popper of Newsday. A couple trainers assisted Randle when he first got back up, but he was able to limp to the locker room on his own, notes Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Third-year forward Obi Toppin started the second half in Randle’s place. The Knicks currently lead by 12 at the end of the third quarter, and a victory would clinch the first-round series.
Randle earned his second All-Star nod in 2022/23, averaging 25.1 PPG, 10.0 RPG, and 4.1 APG on .459/.343/.757 shooting in 77 games (35.5 MPG). He said he wasn’t feeling the effects of the initial sprain after Game 1, but he averaged just 14.8 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.3 APG and 1.0 SPG on .323/.258/.643 shooting through the first four games of the series (31.8 MPG).
According to Popper, Randle returned to the bench in street clothes, so he will be out for at least the rest of Game 5 (Twitter link). The 28-year-old had a productive half, recording 13 points, six assists and four rebounds in 16 minutes.
In other health-related news for the Knicks, guard Quentin Grimes missed his second straight game with a right shoulder contusion (Twitter link via the team). As Katz observes (via Twitter), Grimes was considered a game-time decision, but he didn’t go through pre-game warmups, indicating that he would be ruled out.
Trade deadline addition Josh Hart, who has been terrific for the Knicks since they acquired him from Portland, started his second straight game in place of Grimes.
Anthony Edwards Faces Assault Charges After Game 5 Loss
Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards faces assault charges after missing a potential game-tying shot to conclude Tuesday’s Game 5 loss in Denver, which eliminated Minnesota from the playoffs, multiple sources tell Jake Shapiro of DenverSports.com.
After sprinting off the court into the tunnel following the game, Edwards allegedly picked up a folding chair and swung it, hitting a female security guard and a second female employee, per Shapiro. Both women were reportedly injured and asked to file charges, though neither injury was serious.
The Denver Police Department confirmed that they were called to the scene and cited Edwards for two counts of third-degree assault, according to Shapiro.
The Wolves’ team bus was held up by police after the game in order to cite Edwards, a source tells Shapiro. Part of the alleged incident appears to be shown at 21 seconds into the following clip taken from NBA TV (Twitter video link).
As Shapiro writes, in Colorado third-degree assault carries a potential jail punishment of up to 18 months and/or a fine of up to $1,000. It is a class-one misdemeanor. According to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune, Edwards is due to appear in a Denver court on June 9.
The Timberwolves released a statement regarding the incident.
“We are aware of the alleged incident regarding Anthony Edwards following Game 5 in Denver and are in the process of gathering more information. We have no further comment at this moment.”