- The Pacers front office has recently spoken a couple times with star guard Victor Oladipo, J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star tweets. Last week, there were rumblings that Oladipo, a free agent in 2021 and a two-time All-Star with Indiana, would be amenable to a trade.
Bucks assistant Darvin Ham is receiving head coaching interest from multiple teams, according to a report from Malika Andrews of ESPN, who tweets that Ham is a finalist for the Pacers‘ head coaching job. In addition to meeting with Indiana’s top decision-makers in person soon, Ham will also interview for the Clippers‘ head coaching job this week, says Andrews.
Ham and fellow Bucks assistant Charles Lee were previously identified as candidates for the Pacers’ head coaching job, but Andrews’ note that he has advanced beyond the first round of interviews is new. Indiana reportedly talked to at least 20 candidates during the first round of the team’s coaching search, but it’s unclear how significantly the field has been narrowed since then.
Dave Joerger was said last week to be a strong contender for the Pacers’ vacancy. Mike D’Antoni, Chauncey Billups, and many others have also been linked to the job.
As for the Clippers, Tyronn Lue was dubbed the early frontrunner for that job, but Mike Brown has also interviewed and now Ham will too. Los Angeles is said to be conducting a full-fledged search for Doc Rivers‘ replacement, so I imagine more names will be added to the club’s list of candidates in the coming days.
A former NBA forward, Ham has impressed teams with his work as an assistant under Mike Budenholzer, having been a member of the Hawks’ staff from 2013-18 before being hired by Milwaukee in 2018. He also served as a Lakers assistant from 2011-13.
Ham reportedly received head coaching interest from the Bulls and 76ers this summer before those teams went in other directions.
Following a report that stated Victor Oladipo was “looking to move on” from the Pacers, the two-time All-Star dismissed the idea that he wants to leave Indiana.
Still, with just one year left on his contract and no guarantee he’ll re-sign with the Pacers, Oladipo figures to draw trade interest this offseason, and the Knicks look like one of the teams that will kick the tires on a potential deal, as Marc Berman of The New York Post writes.
Addressing the possibility of the Knicks pursuing Chris Paul, Berman cites NBA officials who say that putting together an offer for Oladipo is expected to be a “higher priority” for the club.
New president of basketball operations Leon Rose has a long-standing connection to Paul, having previously represented him at CAA. However, Oladipo is seven years younger and has a major booster in New York’s front office as well, Berman explains — general manager Scott Perry drafted the guard in 2013 when he was a member of Orlando’s front office and “still is enamored” with him.
As Berman points out, the Knicks have already made a habit of acquiring players Perry previously drafted in Orlando, signing Mario Hezonja in 2018 and Elfrid Payton in 2019.
Of course, a trade for Oladipo would require a more significant investment, both in terms of the trade package required to land him and in terms of the financial commitment it would take to sign him to a long-term deal.
One NBA personnel person who spoke to Berman suggested that an offer of Julius Randle, Dennis Smith Jr., and the Mavericks’ 2021 and 2023 first-round picks could “whet the Pacers’ appetite,” though I’d be surprised if Indiana is enamored with any Knicks package that doesn’t include one of New York’s own future first-rounders.
If the Pacers do seriously consider moving Oladipo this fall, the Heat are expected to be among the other clubs with interest.
The Pacers are meeting with head coaching candidates this week and next, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that former Grizzlies and Kings coach Dave Joerger has met with the team and is considered a “strong contender” for the position.
Wojnarowski says that Pelicans assistant Chris Finch is among the candidates to meet with Indiana, and adds that Chauncey Billups will also get an interview.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst previously reported that the Pacers had talked to over 20 candidates about their head coaching job, but it’s possible those conversations were informal in nature, and that the team is now narrowing down the field as it conducts more in-depth interviews.
While we don’t know the full list of the 20+ candidates who have talked to the Pacers, Finch’s name is the 19th we’ve heard linked to the job, as our head coaching search tracker shows. Indiana’s interest in Joerger and Billups had been previously reported.
After parting ways with Nate McMillan, Pacers management talked about wanting to hire a head coach who takes a “modern approach” to the game and has the ability to connect with younger players.
Pacers guard Victor Oladipo has been the subject of trade rumors recently, with a report earlier this week suggesting that the two-time All-Star is “looking to move on” from Indiana. Appearing on “The Fat Joe Show” on Instagram Live on Wednesday, Oladipo addressed that report for the first time, as Chris Sims of The Indianapolis Star writes.
“I knew that question was coming. I don’t know what you’re talking about, man. I’m a Pacer, man. … I’m a Pacer,” Oladipo replied when asked about his future in Indiana and whether a move to the Knicks, Fat Joe’s hometown team, might be in the cards. “All these other rumors … I can’t control the rumors. I’m just focused on my knee.”
Oladipo is entering a contract year and reportedly plans to reach free agency in 2021 rather than negotiating an extension with the Pacers before then. That’s standard procedure for stars looking to maximize their earnings, but it has fueled trade speculation, especially given the team’s playoff struggles in recent years.
An Indianapolis Star report in July indicated that Oladipo’s top two priorities in free agency will be maximizing his earnings and putting himself in position to win championships. In his conversation with Fat Joe this week, the 28-year-old downplayed financial motivations, suggesting that he’s focused solely on winning.
“Charles Barkley is one of the greatest ever, for sure. But he don’t have a ring, though. … Not saying that Charles Barkley ain’t a great player, but at the end of the day, I want to be able to show my kids, when I have them, how great of a player I was,” Oladipo said. “And in order to do that, you gotta show them some hardware. So that’s what I’m locked in on doing, man. I want some hardware and I want a lot of hardware.”
If Oladipo is unconvinced that the Pacers have the pieces necessary to contend for a title, that would be a red flag for the front office, who won’t want to lose the standout guard for nothing in free agency. Oladipo’s assertions that he’s “a Pacer” are unlikely to bury these trade rumors, so the situation continues to be one worth monitoring.
- The Pacers are looking for a coach and Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files goes over some of the questions those candidates need to answer, including their ability to develop young players and their plan to make the team’s offense more potent.
Pacers guard Victor Oladipo is “looking to move on” from Indiana this offseason, sources tell Jared Weiss of The Athletic, who writes that Pacers big man Myles Turner is “possibly in the same boat.”
Weiss is a Celtics beat writer and his update on Oladipo and Turner is buried within a piece about Boston’s future and upcoming roster decisions. However, J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star confirms Weiss’ intel, tweeting that – based on conversations he has had – Oladipo and Turner are the two Pacers most likely to be moved before the 2020/21 season begins.
There has been some smoke on the Oladipo front for several months now. A report in the spring indicated that opposing teams were monitoring his situation in Indiana as he prepared to enter a contract year in 2020/21. A series of subsequent stories in July named the Heat as a probable suitor and indicated that the two-time All-Star intends to reach free agency in 2021 rather than signing an early extension with the Pacers.
An Indianapolis Star report at that time suggested that Oladipo’s top two priorities in free agency will be maximizing his earnings and putting himself in position to win championships. Whichever team holds Oladipo’s Bird rights when he reaches free agency will have the ability to offer him the most money and years, so if he’s not confident in the Pacers’ ability to compete for titles over the next several years, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him start pushing for a deal to a preferred destination.
Following the Pacers’ elimination from the postseason in August, Oladipo didn’t suggest in his public comments that he was seeking an exit ramp out of Indiana, but he also didn’t strongly commit to the franchise. His situation will be worth watching closely going forward, especially since the Pacers showed in 2017 with Paul George that they’re not afraid to trade a disgruntled star a year ahead of his free agency.
As for Turner, he has been the subject of trade rumors in the past, since there have long been questions about his positional overlap with fellow big man Domantas Sabonis. Both players are on reasonably team-friendly deals, with Turner locked up through 2023 and Sabonis under contract through 2024. However, Sabonis may have emerged as the Pacers’ preferred long-term building block in 2019/20, as he earned an All-Star berth for the first time.
Indiana has long denied that it wants to break up the Turner/Sabonis frontcourt duo, but many executives around the NBA remain convinced it will happen at some point, and T.J. Warren‘s success as the team’s de facto power forward this summer will only fuel those trade rumors. Moving Turner could help the Pacers acquire a player – or player(s) – who would fit better with their core.
The Pacers have interviewed more than 20 candidates for their head coaching opening and are now scheduling second interviews, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.
Appearing on The Jump (video link) on Friday, Windhorst said that former Kings coach Dave Joerger, Bucks assistant Darvin Ham and 76ers assistant Ime Udoka are among the candidates expected to receive second interviews with the Pacers. ESPN analyst Chauncey Billups is also in the mix.
Windhorst doled out a number of other tidbits regarding coaching vacancies:
- The Sixers have focused in on two high-profile candidates, Mike D’Antoni and Tyronn Lue, and that could impact what the Pelicans will do. New Orleans is “very interested” in Clippers assistant Lue, who won a championship in Cleveland with current Pelicans executive David Griffin. However, the Pelicans may have to wait until Philadelphia decides what it wants to do before pursuing Lue in earnest.
- The Thunder appear to be going into rebuild mode and that increases the chances it will hire a first-time head coach. Timberwolves associate head coach David Vanterpool, Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin and perhaps Spurs assistant Will Hardy have emerged as contenders for the job.
- As previously reported, the Rockets are looking seriously at Clippers assistant and former Houston player Sam Cassell and ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy.
Bulls executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas made a personal connection with Billy Donovan that helped him land his new coach, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said this morning on “Keyshawn, JWill & Zubin” (video link). After Donovan left the Thunder two weeks ago, Karnisovas wanted to set up a meeting right away, according to Woj. The Bulls executive flew to Donovan’s Florida home a few days later and was able to sell him on the job.
Wojnarowski notes that Chicago has a recent history of taking chances on college coaches and veteran assistants, but has rarely hired someone with previous NBA head coaching experience. He adds that the Bulls have the talent to compete for a playoff spot in the East and Donovan could turn them into a desirable market for free agents.
Donovan said he didn’t want to be part of a rebuilding job in OKC, but Wojnarowski believes that will be less of a concern in Chicago. He said the Thunder are “cycling down” with a lot of veteran players and draft picks and may bottom out for a while before becoming good again. The Bulls have “players on the uptick” and could become contenders with the right coach.
There’s more on the NBA’s coaching carousel:
- Wojnarowski passed along a few other rumors today (video link). The Sixers are ready to start bringing in coaching candidates and have already started conversations with Mike D’Antoni and Tyronn Lue. Chauncey Billups is a name to watch for the Pacers, who have shown a willingness to hire former players with no coaching experience and surround them with a veteran staff. The Pelicans have been doing a “ton of background” and haven’t started formal interviews yet. The Rockets like interviewing a lot of people whenever they have an opening and will consider various combinations of head coaches and lead assistants. Woj expects the interview process to be lengthy in both Houston and Oklahoma City.
- Raptors head coach Nick Nurse told Sirius XM Radio that assistant Nate Bjorkgren has interviewed for the opening with the Pacers (Twitter link).
- The Kings‘ front office shakeup shouldn’t affect the job security of coach Luke Walton, Sam Amick of The Athletic said on a recent HoopsHype podcast. Amick believes new head of basketball operations Monte McNair was told before he was hired that the organization is “pretty invested both financially and kind of spiritually in Luke.”
With a new VP of basketball operations in control and now a new head coach set to stalk the sidelines, the Bulls with finally get fresh eyes for this year’s draft. Sam Vecenie of The Athletic takes an extensive look at Chicago’s various draft options with the fourth pick this season, as well as the team’s other pressing offseason issues.
Vecenie examines several options in play for the Bulls with the pick, assessing the potential fits of Illawarra Hawks guard LaMelo Ball, Georgia forward Anthony Edwards, Iowa State guard Tyrese Haliburton, Ulm guard Killian Hayes, Auburn wing Isaac Okoro, and Maccabi Tel Aviv forward Deni Avdija. Vecenie also appraises some realistic options for the Bulls’ No. 44 pick this season.
There’s more out of the NBA’s Central Division:
- As the Pistons began their three-week team camp, Pistons head coach Dwane Casey and new general manager Troy Weaver found themselves aligned in terms of their thoughts on the team’s roster, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. “We’ll talk about certain players and see the same things,” Casey said. “I think that’s very, very important that you look at the type of people you want to compete with, the type of people you want to go to battle with.”
- This offseason, the Cavaliers front office, led by general manager Koby Altman, will prioritize adding “defensive-minded players” and “length and athleticism,” per Spencer Davies of Basketball News. The team has the No. 5 pick in the 2020 NBA draft, and will have access to the full mid-level exception as it weighs potential additions.
- As the Pacers continue their search for a new head coach, the team has conducted background research on former Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson, according to a new episode of the HoopsHype Podcast featuring Michael Scotto and guest Sam Amick of The Athletic.