Kokoskov Expected To Join Nash’s Staff With Nets
Former NBA head coach Igor Kokoskov is apparently on the move again.
The Nets are expected to hire Kokoskov as one of Steve Nash’s top assistants, according to Marc Stein (Twitter link). Kokoskov was on Jason Kidd‘s staff with the Mavericks this season.
Brooklyn is looking to change things up after its first-round flameout.
Kokoskov was hired in September to join Kidd in Dallas. He was coming off a stint as the head coach of EuroLeague team Fenerbahçe. Kokoskov has served as an assistant for eight different NBA teams over the last two decades and was the Suns’ head coach for the 2018/19 season.
Central Notes: LaVine, Pacers, Pistons Lottery Pick, Bucks Offseason
What would it take for teams without cap room to ink Zach LaVine and engineer a sign-and-trade? Evan Sidery of Basketball News takes a look at several potential trades in which LaVine winds up with the Heat, Hawks or Mavericks. In the Hawks’ case, Sidery speculates that a three-way deal in which the Bulls receive Kevin Huerter and Onyeka Okongwu and the Pacers get Danilo Gallinari and a 2023 first-round pick from the Hawks might work.
We have more on the Central Division:
- The Pacers will work out six draft prospects on Monday, Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files tweets. That group includes Teddy Allen (New Mexico State), Terrell Brown Jr. (Washington), Max Christie (Michigan State), Ryan Rollins (Toledo), Peyton Watson (UCLA) and Kok Yat (Overtime Elite).
- Would the Pistons move off the No. 5 spot in the lottery for three first-round selections? Keith Langlois of Pistons.com believes if the Spurs offered the No. 9, 20 and 25 picks, Detroit might go along with it. The draft is deep enough that adding three first-rounders would bring more value that the No. 5 pick alone, in Langlois’ assessment.
- The Bucks may have as many as five roster holes to fill and The Athletic’s Eric Nehm takes a comprehensive look at how they’ll approach the offseason and what kinds of free agents they might target.
Knicks Notes: Brunson, Etienne, Harper, Draft
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau, who was hired in 2020, wanted Rick Brunson on his staff from the beginning, one source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post. However, some members of upper management had concerns about the circumstances of Brunson’s departure from Minnesota, Berman’s source said. The former Timberwolves assistant resigned after being accused of improper conduct toward women, though he and his lawyer denied any wrongdoing.
Although Brunson is now set to join Thibodeau’s staff in New York, it doesn’t sound like he intends to put the full-court press on his son Jalen Brunson, an unrestricted free agent this summer, to join him. According to Berman, Rick recently told a confidant that he just wants his son to sign the best deal he can, one representative of his market value.
Marc Stein reported today on Substack that there’s “no grave concern bubbling” in Dallas about the Knicks’ hiring of Rick Brunson, and Berman essentially says the same thing in his story. According to Berman, a source who recently spoke to Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said he’d be “shocked” if Dallas doesn’t re-sign Jalen Brunson.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- The Knicks have been busy conducting pre-draft workouts this week. According to Berman (Twitter links), Tyson Etienne (Wichita State), Orlando Robinson (Fresno State), and Jordan Goldwire (Oklahoma) were among the prospects at the team’s facility on Wednesday, while Jimmy Boeheim (Syracuse) and Andrew Jones (Texas) were among those who auditioned for the team on Thursday.
- Rutgers forward Ron Harper Jr., the No. 57 prospect on ESPN’s big board, will work out for the Knicks on Saturday, tweets Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com.
- Several people in touch with the Knicks last month believe the team has interest trading up from No. 11 in the draft, writes Ian Begley of SNY.tv.
D’Angelo Russell May Be Option In Knicks’ Point Guard Search
If the Knicks can’t get their preferred choices at point guard, the Timberwolves‘ D’Angelo Russell could become an option this summer, writes Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.
New York has a strong connection to Russell in Gersson Rosas, who was recently named senior basketball advisor after spending time with the organization as a consultant. Fischer notes that when Rosas was president of basketball operations in Minnesota, he traded Andrew Wiggins and a lottery pick to the Warriors for Russell in 2020 after missing out on him in free agency.
Russell, who has a $31.4MM expiring contract next season, took some heat after a disappointing performance in the Wolves’ brief playoff run. The emergence of other backcourt options in Minnesota might make him expendable as the team looks to the future.
Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell remains the Knicks’ dream choice, but getting him appears unlikely even if Utah decides to shake up its roster, Fischer writes. He cites “healthy skepticism” around the league that New York can make the best offer for Mitchell, noting that Miami could potentially put together a deal centered around Tyler Herro and multiple first-round picks.
The Knicks have also been linked to Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson, who is headed toward free agency, but Fischer hears there’s a “growing sense” around the league that Brunson will remain in Dallas. Fischer expects Brunson’s new contract to top $20MM per season and says John Collins‘ five-year, $125MM extension could be a good comparison.
New York can only offer four years to Brunson and would need to clear out significant cap space first. Sources tell Fischer that the Knicks unsuccessfully tried to move Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel ahead of the trade deadline to begin opening cap room. Fischer cites league executives who believe New York would have to include either the No. 11 pick in this year’s draft or Immanuel Quickley in any deal to unload salary.
Fischer adds that one factor working in the Knicks’ favor in their pursuit of Brunson is that they can offer him the chance to be the undisputed leader of the offense, which he won’t have in Dallas playing alongside Luka Doncic. Fischer notes that if Brunson signs with the Pistons, who are also reported to be interested, he would be in the same situation with Cade Cunningham.
Sources also tell Fischer that New York won’t be among the teams pursuing Cavaliers free agent guard Collin Sexton. Cleveland is interested in keeping him, but it could be difficult considering the team’s salary commitment to other players. Fischer hears that the Pacers, Pistons and Wizards will all be in the market for Sexton.
Stein’s Latest: Pinson, Boban, Hornets, Connelly, Handy
The Mavericks are “determined” to find space on their roster for Theo Pinson next season, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack article. Pinson appeared in just 19 regular season games in 2021/22 and wasn’t eligible to play in the postseason, but the Mavs view the 26-year-old wing as an important part of the team dynamic in Dallas, Stein explains, noting that center Boban Marjanovic falls into this category too.
Marjanovic has a $3.5MM contract for next season, so the Mavericks will have no problem keeping him around if they want to, but Pinson’s two-way deal is set to expire, making him an unrestricted free agent. Since he’ll have four years of NBA service under his belt, Pinson will no longer be eligible to sign a two-way contract in 2022/23 — he’d have to get a standard contract and be part of the 15-man roster if the Mavs want to retain him.
Pinson was viewed as the unofficial ring leader of the Mavs’ bench mob that earned the team $175K in fines during the playoffs due to its “bench decorum” violations.
Here’s more from Stein:
- With Darvin Ham off the board, it’s unclear which head coaching candidate is the frontrunner for the Hornets‘ job. However, Stein says there was some “fresh buzz” over the weekend that if Mike D’Antoni is hired by Charlotte, he could bring former Bulls head coach Jim Boylen along with him as an assistant. Stein reported a couple weeks ago that D’Antoni was in a strong position to land the job, but later cast some doubt on that report.
- Sources with knowledge of the situation tell Stein that the “equity” aspect of Tim Connelly‘s deal with the Timberwolves has been overstated. Stein’s understanding is that Connelly’s contract includes a bonus based on the value of the franchise increasing during his five-year contract, but he doesn’t actually own a stake in the team.
- It remains to be seen whether veteran assistant Phil Handy will return to the Lakers under Ham, according to Stein, who believes the Nets could be a fit for Handy if he doesn’t stay in L.A. Handy worked well with Kyrie Irving during their Cleveland days, and the Nets have a need on the player development side following Adam Harrington‘s exit, Stein observes.
Doncic Will Have Busy Summer Overseas
- Doncic wants free agent Jalen Brunson to remain his backcourt partner, Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News writes. “The step – the huge leap – he took this year was unbelievable,” Doncic said. “And he’s going to deserve all the money he gets.” The Mavericks have made their desire to retain Brunson known but they also want to acquire a quality big man — a rebounder and rim-protector. “That’s no secret. We know we got beat up on the boards,” Harrison said after the conference finals.
Mavs Notes: Gobert, LaVine, Brunson, Doncic
The Mavericks remain focused on acquiring another All-Star caliber player to complement Luka Doncic after tacitly acknowledging by trading Kristaps Porzingis in February that he wasn’t the right fit, sources tell veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein. The Mavs won’t have salary cap space to sign a player of that caliber outright anytime soon, so if they’re going to try to acquire a star this summer, it will probably have to be via trade.
Dallas has been linked to Jazz big man Rudy Gobert, but Stein’s sources say the Mavs’ interest in the three-time Defensive Player of the Year has been overstated. As Stein explains, the team knows it needs to improve its rim protection and rebounding, but had success with a five-out approach this postseason and will likely pursue a more “cost-efficient” option at center.
According to Stein, Bulls guard Zach LaVine is a potential target that intrigues the Mavericks, who apparently like the idea of adding another wing slasher and scorer, particularly after seeing how effective Spencer Dinwiddie was this season alongside Doncic.
However, LaVine is a free agent this summer and it would be a challenge for the Mavs to sign-and-trade for him and re-sign Jalen Brunson, since team salary would be well beyond the projected tax apron — any club that acquires a player via sign-and-trade becomes hard-capped at the apron for the rest of that league year. If acquiring LaVine isn’t realistic, Dallas will likely pivot to other options on the wing, Stein says.
Here’s more on the Mavs, whose season ended on Thursday in Golden State:
- President of basketball operations Nico Harrison downplayed the need to bring in another All-Star caliber player. “There’s teams … that have a bunch of All-Stars, and they were sitting at home watching us play,” Harrison said during his end-of-season presser on Friday (Twitter link via Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News). “Yeah, you need to keep upgrading the roster, but I don’t think it’s just about getting a bunch of All-Stars. It’s about getting people that fit.”
- Harrison said that re-signing Jalen Brunson will be the Mavericks’ “top priority” this offseason (Twitter link via Michael Scotto of HoopsHype). “We want to re-sign him. He knows it,” Harrison said. “We want him back. He’ll be a big part of our future.” Mavs owner Mark Cuban also spoke about the team’s desire to retain Brunson, as we outlined earlier today.
- As Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News relays, Cuban admitted that he didn’t know what to expect entering the 2021/22 season after the team underwent front office and coaching changes. He was pleased to see the Mavs establish an identity over the course of the year. “Hard-playing. Physical. Multi-talented, able to complement Luka,” Cuban said in describing the type of player that fits that identity. “Knowing how to play with Luka. That probably is number one. But yeah, you saw how we played it. Guys like Reggie Bullock. Spencer, when he came, got it. Davis Bertans. (Dorian Finney-Smith). Dwight (Powell). Everybody. There’s nobody that you can name that that wasn’t just playing as hard as they possibly can and knew their role.”
- An Eastern Conference executive who spoke to Tim MacMahon of ESPN believes the Mavericks are “one player away” from being a legitimate title contender. According to MacMahon, that opinion is shared by other rival coaches, executives, and scouts he has spoken to about Dallas’ outlook. For his part, Doncic said after Thursday’s loss that he thinks the Mavs are “on a great, great path.”
- ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link) and Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype have published their offseason previews for the Mavericks, while Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report and SI.com’s Chris Mannix and Howard Beck also took a closer look at the team’s roster situation going forward.
Mark Cuban On Jalen Brunson: “I Think He Wants To Stay”
In the wake of their season-ending loss to Golden State on Thursday, the Mavericks will soon shift their attention to offseason roster moves, and no decision this summer will be bigger than the one they make on point guard Jalen Brunson.
Brunson will be an unrestricted free agent, so if he wants to leave, the Mavericks won’t necessarily get the opportunity to match an offer he gets from another team. But team owner Mark Cuban is confident in both the Mavs’ ability to make a strong offer and in Brunson’s desire to remain in Dallas.
“We can pay him more than anybody,” Cuban told Marc Stein on Bally Sports Southwest (video link), referring to the fact that Brunson’s Bird rights allow the Mavs to give him more years and more money than any other team. “And I think he wants to stay and that’s most important.”
Cuban went on to highlight the impact that Jason Kidd had on Brunson this past season, suggesting that the 2018 second-round pick “blossomed” under Dallas’ new head coach.
In 79 regular season games (31.9 MPG), Brunson established new career highs in PPG (16.3), APG (4.8), RPG (3.9), and a handful of other categories, while posting an impressive shooting line of .502/.373/.840. He had a strong postseason too, putting up 21.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 3.7 APG on .466/.347/.800 shooting in 18 games (34.9 MPG).
The Mavs’ team salary for 2022/23 is already approaching the tax line and will blow past that threshold if they re-sign Brunson to a deal in the range of $20-25MM per year, so there has been some speculation that he could pried away from Dallas. The Knicks, Pistons, and Pacers have frequently been cited as teams with interest in the 25-year-old.
However, dating back to before February’s trade deadline, the Mavs have been steadfast in their insistence that they want to bring back Brunson, and Cuban’s post-game comments on Thursday showed no sign that stance has changed. Now, it’s a matter of seeing how aggressive they’ll have to be to ward off his rival suitors.
Warriors’ Otto Porter Jr. Out For Game 5
6:42pm: The Warriors have officially ruled out Porter, Slater tweets.
1:31pm: Warriors forward Otto Porter Jr., who had previously been listed as questionable for Thursday’s Game 5 against the Mavericks but was unable to practice on Wednesday (Twitter link via Anthony Slater of The Athletic), is expected to be inactive tonight, reports Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).
Porter hurt his left foot in the second quarter of Sunday’s Game 3 after an awkward landing on an attempted layup. He tried to remain in the game, but eventually had to be taken out. X-rays on the foot were negative, but obviously he’s been unable to return to action since.
A foot injury sidelined Porter for the last game of the Western Conference Semifinals on May 13, but that ailment affected his right foot, not his left, so this is a new injury rather than an aggravation of that one.
Porter has been a key member of Golden State’s rotation during the team’s playoff run this spring, averaging 5.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 2.2 APG on .467/.323/.714 shooting in 13 appearances (20.7 MPG). Those averages are diminished slightly due to the two games he left early due to his foot issues.
It’s possible the Warriors are just being cautious with Porter since they hold a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference Finals heading into Game 5, but the fact that he’s been unable to practice or play recently isn’t a great sign. He’s an important two-way role player for Golden State, so if the injury lingers, his potential absence could be a significant concern if the team advances to the Finals.
Southwest Notes: Grizzlies, Hunt, Mavericks, Hardaway
Beyond an obviously forthcoming contract extension for All-NBA Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, Memphis will have to make several key offseason decisions.
Evan Barnes, Mark Giannotto, and Damichael Cole of Memphis Commercial Appeal take a look at what they consider to be the four key questions facing the Grizzlies: The fate of Dillon Brooks, whether or not the team should retain both its two first-round draft picks, whether or not big man Brandon Clarke will receive a contract extension of his own, and the futures of free agents Kyle Anderson and Tyus Jones.
The Grizzlies’ rebuild began to bear fruit in a major way during the 2021/22 NBA season. Morant won Most Improved Player and made his first All-Star and All-NBA teams, while the 56-26 Grizzlies earned the second seed in the West and won their first playoff series since the 2014/15 season.
There’s more out of the Southwest Division:
- Melvin Hunt, most recently an assistant coach for the Hawks during the 2020/21 season, may return to the Rockets as an assistant next year, per Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link). Hunt was previously a scout and assistant coach for Houston from 1999-2004.
- The Mavericks are currently trailing the Warriors 3-0 in the Western Conference Finals, a deficit that no club in NBA playoff history has ever overcome. Though the odds are fairly steep for Dallas to buck that trend, the club clearly has established a system that seems primed for future success, writes Rob Mahoney of The Ringer. Mahoney observes that the Mavericks have opted to surround All-Star point guard Luka Doncic with shooters and defenders, a formula that has helped them make their first Western Conference Finals appearance in 11 years. The Mavericks play a must-win Game 4 at home tonight.
- Injured Mavericks wing Tim Hardaway Jr. will consult team doctors this evening, according to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). Provided that club doctors are satisfied with Hardaway’s continued recovery from a left foot fracture that required surgery, he’ll take the next step in his rehabilitation tomorrow, adding new non-contact workout elements to his routine, per Townsend.