Pacific Notes: Dellavedova, Lacob, Thompson
Australian center Andrew Bogut tried to get the Warriors to sign countryman Matthew Dellavedova in 2013, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. After Dellavedova went undrafted, Bogut petitioned GM Bob Myers to take a chance on the guard, but Golden State didn’t have a roster spot available. Instead, Dellavedova signed with the Cavaliers’ summer league team, earned a place on the roster and will face the Warriors in the NBA Finals.
There’s more tonight from the Pacific Division:
- Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob hasn’t addressed a crowd since he was booed off the court three years ago, writes Tim Kawakami of The Bay Area News Group. With Golden State in the NBA Finals, the response would assuredly be different, but Lacob wants to wait until he has a championship trophy in hand to speak to fans again. The booing incident came during Chris Mullin’s jersey retirement ceremony in March of 2012, less than two years after Lacob and Peter Guber purchased the team. Public opinion about ownership has changed since then, especially after the Warriors compiled the NBA’s best record and lost just three games while storming through the Western Conference playoffs. “I don’t think he thinks about it as redemption in any sense like that,” said Joe’s son, Kirk Lacob. “I think the booing thing just adds … it’s just another cool part of the story, hopefully.”
- With Game 1 of the NBA Finals five days away, Warriors coach Steve Kerr is confident that Klay Thompson will be ready, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. Thompson suffered a concussion in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals and will not be able to practice until he is symptom free. “He’s going through the [concussion protocol] process, but all is going well,” Kerr said today.
- Julius Randle, the Lakers‘ top pick in the 2014 draft, is almost fully recovered from a broken leg, writes Bill Oram of The Orange County Register. Randle has made steady progress since fracturing his tibia in the team’s season opener and hopes to be ready for summer league action in July. “The last time I checked probably about a month ago, the bone was 95% healed,” Randle said. “I feel great.”
Eastern Notes: Skiles, Wizards, Varejao
The big news of the day is the Magic‘s hiring of Scott Skiles as the team’s new head coach. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports previously reported that Skiles’ arrangement with the team was for four years, and Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link) adds that the fourth year (2018/19) is a team option. Robbins also tweets that Skiles said he would like to keep former interim coach James Borrego on his coaching staff.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- The Wizards have workouts scheduled for this Monday with Jerian Grant (Notre Dame), Darian Hooker (New York Institute of Technology), Cady Lalanne (UMass), Stefan Nastic (Stanford), Juwan Staten (West Virginia), and Delon Wright (Utah), Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post reports (via Twitter).
- Cavs big man Anderson Varejao, who has been out of action since suffering a torn left Achilles tendon, could be activated for the NBA Finals if something were to “go bad” for Cleveland, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com said in an appearance on ESPN Cleveland radio (Twitter link).
- Former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau didn’t deserve the shots he took on the way out the door from the franchise, but he did deserve to be fired because of the team’s lack of offensive creativity and production despite having a potent roster and rotation, Kelly Dwyer of Yahoo! Sports opines.
- Working out for the Sixers today were T.J. McConnell (Arizona), Chasson Randle (Stanford), Jarvis Threatt (Delaware), K.T. Harrell (Auburn), and Gabe Olaseni (Iowa), Jake Fischer of LibertyBallers.com relays (Twitter link).
Eastern Notes: Curry, Celtics, Perkins
The Hornets announced today that former player and current broadcaster Dell Curry has expanded his role with the organization, becoming a team Ambassador and Special Projects Advisor. Curry will serve as an ambassador for the team at events related to both basketball and business operations, such as community programs, charity outings, speaking engagements and fundraising galas. “We are pleased that Dell has agreed to expand his role with our organization,” said Hornets Sports & Entertainment President & COO Fred Whitfield. “Dell’s name is synonymous with the words ‘Charlotte Hornets.’ Our fans know him well from both his history as a player and his six seasons as our TV analyst. We are excited that he will be strengthening his relationship with our franchise.”
Here’s the latest out of the Eastern Conference:
- The Celtics held workouts today for David Kravish (California), Cliff Alexander (Kansas), Chasson Randle (Stanford), George Lucas (Brazil), Maxie Esho (UMass), and Satnam Singh (IMG Academy), Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com relays (via Twitter).
- Kendrick Perkins had a choice to sign with either the Clippers or the Cavaliers after parting ways with the Jazz at midseason via a buyout arrangement, and the big man is thrilled that he ultimately decided on Cleveland, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media writes. “Just to come and have a chance to win a title is beautiful,” Perkins told Haynes. “Anytime you have that chance to make it to The Finals, you’re definitely a championship-type team. … We’re proving it every night.“
- The Nets have three sets of workouts scheduled for next week, the team announced. The group on Monday will consist of Terry Rozier (Louisville), Kevin Pangos (Gonzaga), Treveon Graham (VCU), Aaron Thomas (FSU), Mike Myers (MD-Eastern Shore), and Kendall Gray (Delaware State). Tuesday’s crop will consist of Phil Greene (St. John’s), Darrick Marks (Boise State), Darrun Hilliard (Villanova), Greg Whittington (Georgetown), Aaron White (Iowa), and David Laury (Iona). And on Wednesday the team will work out Jarvis Summers (Mississippi), Quinn Cook (Duke), Jesse Morgan (Temple), J.P. Tokoto (North Carolina), Jonathan Holmes (Texas), and JayVaughn Pinkston (Villanova).
Central Notes: Thibodeau, Blatt, J.R. Smith
It’s well-known throughout the NBA that the Bulls would grant other teams permission to interview Tom Thibodeau if they asked, but no team has done so this year, reports K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. Johnson believes that suggests the options for Thibs to coach elsewhere next season are fading and sees Chicago’s slow-paced approach to Thibodeau so far this offseason as a sign that the team isn’t opposed to simply paying off the $9MM left on his contract and parting ways with him. There’s more on the Thibodeau drama amid the latest from the Central Division:
- There is indeed a set-off clause in Thibodeau’s contract, so the Bulls would recoup at least part of that money — and as much as 100% of it if his contract is like that of most coaches, as Ken Berger of CBSSports.com recently detailed — if the Bulls fire him and he ends up with another job, Johnson reports in the same piece. Still, it’s unknown how owner Jerry Reinsdorf, who Johnson refers to as an occasional “oasis” of sorts for Thibodeau amid the coach’s squabbles with management, wants the situation to play out, Thibs received more pushback from players this year than ever, Johnson adds.
- Cavs owner Dan Gilbert insists that the team never considered firing coach David Blatt, in spite of a report to the contrary and another that indicated the organization was concerned by Blatt’s uneven early season performance, as Gilbert said to Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. The owner said his confidence never wavered about the coach who’s in his first NBA job. “It really didn’t,” Gilbert said. “I don’t care what the expectations were, especially after we changed coaches twice in two years. This was a guy with a long-term record of success. You have to at least give a season, maybe more than just one. I think it would have destabilized the entire franchise and it would have been bad.”
- Cleveland received permission from the Knicks to talk to J.R. Smith prior to trading for him in January, and he impressed upon the Cavs that he was excited for the chance to play with them, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Smith later said that he would walk to Cleveland to play with LeBron James, Isola adds amid a story that casts the Cavs as a long-term threat atop the Eastern Conference.
And-Ones: Lakers, Lamb, Jackson
The Lakers‘ offseason plans have started to come into focus now that the NBA Draft lottery has been completed, Eric Pincus of The Los Angeles Times writes. “Our roster looks better, clearly, after getting the pick in the lottery last Tuesday,” said GM Mitch Kupchak. Los Angeles currently owns three picks in the 2015 NBA Draft, but Kupchak isn’t sure if the team will hold onto all three of those selections, Pincus adds. “We don’t know if we’re going to draft three players,” the GM said of the team’s two later selections (No. 27 and No. 34 overall). “We may draft a player who might have to wait a year or two in Europe.”
Here’s more from around the league:
- Kupchak also said that the team is considering anywhere from four to eight players with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, and that Los Angeles is keeping its options wide open regarding who it is looking to select, Mike Trudell of NBA.com tweets.
- Jeremy Lamb hasn’t gotten much playing time with the Thunder thus far in his career, something that may change under new coach Billy Donovan, Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman writes in his profile of the 22-year-old. Lamb made just 47 appearances for OKC last season, averaging 6.3 points and 2.3 rebounds in 13.5 minutes per contest.
- The success that J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert have enjoyed for the Cavaliers in this year’s playoffs makes Knicks team president Phil Jackson‘s decision to deal both away look worse with every game, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. Cleveland has advanced to the NBA Finals after eliminating the Hawks tonight by a score of 118-88.
Cavs Rumors: Thompson, Irving, Dellavedova
Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson is flattered that LeBron James thinks so highly of him but offered no insights regarding his future, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. James expressed hope on Monday that Thompson, a restricted free agent, would remain with the club throughout his career. That was welcome news to Thompson. “I appreciate the compliment, if that’s a compliment, from LeBron,” Thompson said to reporters covering the Eastern Conference Finals. “I’m just here to work, to just come into work and do what the team asks of me — whether it’s on the court, off the court, in the community — and just be a professional.” Thompson turned down a four-year, $52MM offer prior to the season and could get max deal in free agency, as Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group reports. The Cavs will have some serious competition to retain Thompson since teams have quietly expressed interest in signing Thompson to an offer sheet, league sources told Haynes. `
In other news regarding the Cavaliers:
- Some of Kyrie Irving‘s teammates may be privately questioning his ability to play with pain after Irving sat out the last two playoff games, according to Joe Vardon of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. Irving has been sidelined by left knee tendinitis. Iman Shumpert, while not overtly targeting Irving, spoke of how players need to push through their pain, Vardon continues. James indicated that Irving’s absence has sapped his energy because he must handle the ball more often. “That takes the wear on your legs throughout the course of the game,” James said during a press conference. Coach David Blatt said Irving’s teammates were not frustrated with him for missing games but just anxious to have him return to action, Vardon adds.
- The league needs to take a harsher stance against Matthew Dellavedova, Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun opines. Dellavedova plays too recklessly, according to Ganter, which leads to too many altercations with opponents. Taj Gibson and Al Horford were ejected from playoff games after incidents involving Dellavedova and Kyle Korver suffered a severely sprained ankle when Dellavedova rolled up on his leg diving for a loose ball. If the NBA fails to crack down on Dellavedova, it could lead to a more serious altercation, Ganter believes.
LeBron Wants To Keep Thompson On Cavs
LeBron James made his thoughts clear about soon-to-be restricted free agent Tristan Thompson‘s future in Cleveland, telling beat writers that the power forward “should probably be a Cavalier the rest of his career,” notes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Thompson and James both employ Rich Paul of Klutch Sports as their agent, and James clearly has an influence on the Cavs.
Extension talks between Thompson and the Cavs broke down as the deadline for the sides to sign one approached this past fall. Thompson reportedly turned down an offer worth $52MM over four years from the Cavs. Cleveland signed fellow big man and James confidant Anderson Varejao to an extension the same day that talks ended with Thompson. Uncertainty over just how the salary cap would look apparently helped discussions unravel with the former No. 4 overall pick, but neither side left the negotiating table with hard feelings, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. The union in March issued a final rejection of the league’s proposal to phase in salary cap increases, ostensibly bringing more clarity to bear for when Thompson and the Cavs can pick up negotiations this summer.
Cleveland appears set to zoom past the projected $67.1MM cap and $81.6MM tax threshold if it is to keep its team together next season, though owner Dan Gilbert hasn’t signaled that he wants any belt-tightening. Rival executives thought Thompson would end up with an extension for between $10-12MM a year while he and the Cavs were talking this past fall, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported during the season, but Thompson has appeared more valuable than ever in the playoffs. He’s averaging 3.9 offensive rebounds in 34.6 minutes per game in the postseason, having inherited a starting role following Kevin Love‘s injury. The Cavs appear to have meshed better with Thompson at the four than they did with Love.
Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders figures Thompson’s camp will start talks with a request for the max this summer. Kyler also writes in that same NBA AM piece that agents commonly believe that teams will be more willing than usual to give max and near-max offers this summer, the last before major escalation in the salary cap. So, it seems there’s a decent chance other teams will drive up Thompson’s price point with fat offer sheets. A further complication is the future of Love, who’s said he’ll opt in. Whether he does or he doesn’t, he wouldn’t be tied to Cleveland for more than another year, putting pressure on Cleveland to retain at least one of its top-line power forwards unless Love opts out and commits to a new long-term deal.
Draft Notes: Rozier, Looney, Timberwolves
The NBA draft is just one month from tonight. The lottery and the combine are finished, so team workouts will be the main focus from now until draft night. Now that we know where every team will pick, we debuted our mock draft this weekend, and we’re continuing with our Prospect Profile series. Here’s more on the draft as the event starts to get close:
- Louisville point guard Terry Rozier has made a habit of overcoming the odds, and he didn’t disappoint in his workout with the Jazz this weekend, according to Utah vice president of player personnel Walt Perrin, as Carter Williams of the Deseret News examines. The Jazz were one of 17 teams scheduled to audition Rozier, Williams writes, a group that apparently includes the Rockets and Spurs.
- Kevon Looney added the Nets, Wizards, Jazz, Suns, Bulls, Cavs, Raptors, Hawks and Knicks to the list of the teams he interviewed with at the draft combine earlier this month, as the UCLA power forward revealed to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Looney is a raw prospect, but even though he feels he could have improved if he’d stayed in college, he tells Medina that he’s confident he can also develop at the NBA level.
- Connecticut point guard Ryan Boatright, LSU power forward Jordan Mickey, Texas combo forward Jonathan Holmes and Louisville swingman Wayne Blackshear are among the players tentatively scheduled to work out Friday for the Timberwolves, reports Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link).
Central Notes: Pacers, Scola, Blatt
The Cavs are up 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals and that’s thanks in no small part to their defense, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today Sports writes. The Cavs lead the playoffs in points allowed per 100 possessions (98.1), points allowed (91.4), and blocked shots (7.0 per game).
“We understand that ultimately, if we want to win long term, we have to defend. It’s going to give us the best possible chance to win because the ball doesn’t go through the rim all the time, and you have to be able to get stops,” LeBron James said.
Here’s more from the Central Division..
- There’s mutual interest between Pacers president Larry Bird and veteran Luis Scola in a new deal, Scott Agness of VigilantSports.com tweets. “[There’s] this huge gap that we got to fill. We’ll see how it goes,” Scola said. Scola, 35, averaged 9.4 PPG and 6.5 RPG in 20.5 minutes per contest last season. Bird made it known back in April that he hopes to retain the forward.
- Cavs first year coach David Blatt is silencing the critics one meaningful win at a time, Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio writes. Blatt sometimes takes a condescending tone with reporters, which meant that he got off on the wrong foot with many Cleveland beat writers. With the way the Cavs are playing now, however, it’d be hard to criticize the NBA newcomer.
- If the Pistons want to add a strong defender in this year’s draft, they should take Arkansas’ Michael Qualls at No. 38, David Mayo of MLive.com writes. “I look at the NBA, and for one, I see that no one really plays defense,” Qualls said. “There’s a couple defensive guys [on each team], but for the most part, everyone else is just offense. I’m fine on the offensive end, but I feel like I’ll be able to play the NBA game right away and be their defensive stopper.”
Central Notes: Blatt, Hezonja, Bucks, Pacers
Part of the heat that’s surrounded Cavs coach David Blatt this year is media-driven, argues Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. His brusque manner with reporters has fueled a perhaps unprecedented level of criticism, Amico writes, but owner Dan Gilbert is in his corner one year after making the surprising hire. While we wait to see if Blatt can lead the Cavs to a 2-0 series lead on the Hawks tonight, here’s more from around the Central Division:
- Mario Hezonja makes sense for the Pistons at draft pick No. 8, and while he’s a streaky shooter who has a prickly demeanor with teammates, he doesn’t carry nearly the same risk as Darko Milicic did when the Pistons blew the No. 2 pick on him in 2003, writes Terry Foster of The Detroit News.
- Bucks GM John Hammond wants the team to build “organically” with a long-term approach and said Milwaukee will target size and shooting in the draft this year, as The Associated Press relays. “We’re still very much an unfinished product,” Hammond said. “We need to continue to add toughness and energy to our team, so we have multiple needs.”
- The Pacers on Tuesday will work out draft prospects Delon Wright, Marcus Thornton, Pat Connaughton, Jabril Trawick, Greg Whittington and Jonathan Holmes, the team announced. Thornton, a point guard from William & Mary, is not to be confused with the forward from Georgia by the same name who worked out for the Sixers, and of course he isn’t the six-year NBA veteran shooting guard who also goes by that name.