Thunder Notes: Durant, Free Agency, Adams
Kevin Durant, who is expected to be the most sought-after name on this summer’s free agent market, respects David West for passing up millions to pursue an NBA title, relays Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. West declined a $12.6MM option with the Pacers last year and signed with the Spurs for the $1.5MM veteran’s minimum. The move raised eyebrows around the league, but Durant found it admirable. “Money isn’t everything in this life,” Durant said. “I know we tend to think about taking care of your family and being financially stable, but from the outside looking in, it looked like he said, ‘I’ve been blessed enough to make X amount of dollars, and I want to be happy chasing something that is the grand prize in this league.’”
There’s more news from Oklahoma City:
- The Thunder are the favorites to keep Durant, but their chances would decline if they can’t get past the Spurs, writes Mark Heisler of The Los Angeles Daily News. That largely falls in with a Friday report from Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Heisler expects Durant to sign a one-year deal with Oklahoma City or possibly a two-year pact with an opt-out clause for next summer. That will enable him to earn about $40MM more and time his free agency with Russell Westbrook‘s. “I think he’s going to test the water,” said former Thunder teammate and current Connecticut coach Kevin Ollie, “but at the end of the day, Oklahoma City is something dear to his heart.” In order, Heisler lists the Spurs, Warriors, Wizards, Clippers, Knicks and Lakers as the top contenders if Durant does decide to leave OKC.
- Because he was drafted with a pick the Thunder received in the James Harden trade, Steven Adams has been dealing with huge expectations from the start of his NBA career, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. Adams averaged 8.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game this year while splitting time at center with Enes Kanter. Before the start of last season, Oklahoma City picked up Adams’ $3,140,517 option for 2016/17. “He’s not easily impressed, he doesn’t take things too seriously,” said teammate Nick Collison. “I think that’s the culture from his background. He’s all about, ‘Get over yourself.’ He didn’t grow up with the dream to play in the NBA, and it shows.”
Latest on Dave Joerger, Kings
The sudden availability of Dave Joerger has shaken up the timing of the Kings’ coaching search, reports Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee. Joerger, who will meet with Sacramento officials today, is among roughly two dozen candidates to formally interview or speak with GM/executive Vlade Divac about the position. Voisin writes that Divac plans to choose three or four finalists in the next few days and present that list to the Kings’ front office. Divac had hoped to fill the vacancy before leaving for the pre-draft camp in Chicago later this week, but the dismissals of Joerger in Memphis and Frank Vogel in Indiana forced him to alter the schedule to take a look at both candidates. According to Voisin, Divac has also been trying to schedule a meeting with Spurs assistant Ettore Messina during downtime in the San Antonio-Oklahoma City playoff series. She lists Joerger, Vogel and Messina among the front-runners to be the Kings’ next coach, along with Mike Woodson and Nate McMillan. Portland coach Terry Stotts is a possible darkhorse if the Blazers aren’t willing to extend his contract.
There’s more news this morning on the Joerger front:
- Dissension between Joerger and the Grizzlies had been building throughout the season, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Joerger, who had just one guaranteed year left on his Memphis contract, reportedly angered team officials when he called the roster “a little bit old” earlier this season. More recently, Joerger told Memphis-area reporters that he wouldn’t be talking them them until July because he wasn’t part of the group preparing for the draft. Joerger’s request to be allowed to interview for coaching positions in Sacramento and Houston apparently sealed his fate in Memphis.
- Joerger’s meeting with the Kings seems like a “mere formality,” tweets TNT’s David Aldridge, who hears that the team is prepared to make a three-year offer worth $12MM.
- The arrangement between Joerger and Sacramento is virtually a done deal, tweets Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer, who adds that it would take a “screeching halt” for Joerger not to get the job.
- Joerger made a wise career move by orchestrating his firing in Memphis, writes Tom Ziller of SB Nation. Owner Robert Pera never believed in Joerger and tried to undermine him from the time he replaced Lionel Hollins in 2013, according to Ziller. That’s why Joerger has been requesting permission to interview with other franchises, starting with the Wolves in 2014. Ziller points out that Joerger is now free to pursue an arrangement that will give him more money and security than he had with the Grizzlies.
Latest on Dave Joerger
Dave Joerger was let go by the Grizzlies earlier today, but it doesn’t appear as if he will have to wait long to find another coaching opportunity in the league. Here’s the latest:
- There is mutual interest between the Kings and Joerger, although the team isn’t altering its methodical search, according to Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link).
- While the Kings are strongly pursing Joerger, he plans to wait on making any sort of decision until he hears from the Rockets, David Aldridge of NBA.com tweets. The Pacers are a possible landing spot as well, Aldridge adds.
- The Wolves didn’t anticipate Joerger being available and the team believed it would have taken a trade to get him from Memphis, Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press tweets. Krawczynski adds that he doesn’t believe Joerger would be interested in becoming a top assistant on Tom Thibodeau’s staff (Twitter link).
- The topic of tonight’s reader-driven Community Shootaround is which coaching gig should Joerger take next. Click here to join the discussion.
Pacers To Work Out Trevon Bluiett
- Xavier small forward Trevon Bluiett has a workout scheduled with the Pacers, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv relays (on Twitter). The 20-year-old is the No. 19 overall sophomore in his class according to Givony.
Lakers Plan Major Trade Push For Paul George?
THURSDAY, 1:09pm: GM Mitch Kupchak denied any plans to trade the first-round pick as he spoke in an appearance on KSPN-AM in Los Angeles, as Serena Winters of Lakers Nation relays (Twitter links).
“I have no idea where that came from,” Kupchak said. “I’m superstitious enough that I’m not going to look to do something or take something for granted before we have it.”
WEDNESDAY, 12:00pm: The Lakers want to make an aggressive run at trading for Paul George this summer, and they’re willing to give up their 2016 first-round pick and more to Indiana, as HBO’s Bill Simmons hears (Twitter link). Such a proposal would be unlikely to sway the Pacers, Simmons concedes, and the Lakers won’t even have a first-rounder to offer if they slip out of the top three in the May 17th lottery, a scenario with a roughly 44% chance of happening.
It would probably require the inclusion of D’Angelo Russell to prompt the Pacers to consider any such offer, Simmons suggests, noting that Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird isn’t sentimental and will make a drastic move if he deems it necessary, as the uncertainty over Frank Vogel‘s job status demonstrates (Twitter links). George, a native of Los Angeles County, is under contract for at least two more years, with a player option worth more than $20.7MM for the 2018/19 season.
The Lakers reportedly offered last year’s No. 2 pick, which they ultimately used on Russell, to the Kings in trade talks about DeMarcus Cousins this past June. Lakers basketball operations chief Jim Buss faces a self-imposed deadline of next spring to have to turned around the franchise’s sagging fortunes, having said he’ll resign if he fails to accomplish that. The team was a franchise-worst 17-65 this past season.
What sort of offer do you think it would take to pry George from the Pacers? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.
Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Indiana Pacers
Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird already decided to change coaches, and he has the flexibility necessary to make further significant alterations to his team. The Pacers can open roughly $30MM in room against a projected $92MM cap, close to enough for even the highest band of maximum salaries. Indiana has never been a destination spot for elite free agents, but the Pacers nonetheless have the ability to spread their wealth on players who can adopt Bird’s preferred up-tempo offense. Perhaps the only impingement will be the team’s sharp restriction on the offer it can make to Solomon Hill thanks to the decision to decline his option this past fall. See how Indiana’s cap situation looks for 2016/17 as Hoops Rumors continues its offseason salary cap digest series.
Guaranteed salary
- Paul George ($18,314,532)
- Monta Ellis ($10,763,500)
- George Hill ($8,000,000)
- Rodney Stuckey ($7,000,000)
- C.J. Miles ($4,583,450)
- Lavoy Allen ($4,000,000)
- Myles Turner ($2,463,840)
- Joseph Young ($1,052,342)
- Rakeem Christmas ($1,052,342)
- Total: $57,230,006
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Glenn Robinson III ($1,050,500)
- Shayne Whittington ($980,431)
- Total: $2,030,931
Restricted Free Agents
- None
Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)
- Ian Mahinmi ($7,600,000)
- Jordan Hill ($4,800,000)
- Solomon Hill ($2,306,019)1
- Ty Lawson ($980,431)
- Total: $15,686,450
Other Cap Holds
- No. 20 pick ($1,301,900)
Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000
Footnotes:
- The Pacers can’t re-sign Hill to a contract with a starting salary worth more than the amount listed here because they declined their team option on his rookie scale contract.
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Pacers Tell Solomon Hill They Will Consider Re-Signing Him
Because the Pacers declined to exercise their team option on Solomon Hill for 2016/17, the small forward is now set to become an unrestricted free agent and Indiana cannot offer Hill a salary for next season greater than $2,306,019, which is the value of the option the Pacers declined. Team executive Larry Bird, speaking at today’s press conference, noted that he told Hill in his exit interview that that the team would consider re-signing him, Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star relays in a series of tweets. Bird also told the 25-year-old that he did him a favor by declining the option because it lit a fire under him this season, Buckner adds. Hill made 59 appearances for the Pacers this season, notching averages of 4.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 14.7 minutes per contest. His shooting line on the season was .447/.324/.857.
Fallout From Pacers Dismissal Of Frank Vogel
Frank Vogel released an official statement regarding his dismissal from the Pacers, and the former coach thanked the organization, executive Larry Bird and the team’s fans for their support, Scott Agness of Vigilant Sports relays. “I would like to express my sincerest thanks to the Simon family, Larry Bird and the entire Indiana Pacers organization for giving me the opportunity to serve as the head coach of this team for the past six seasons. This is one of the top-flight organizations in the National Basketball Association and I truly enjoyed every minute I spent as the leader of this group of men,” Vogel wrote. “During my time with the Pacers, we made a lot of positive memories and none of that would have been possible without the support of Larry, the front office and all of the players I had the opportunity to coach. We consistently battled through thick and thin, and that is something that I am very proud of.”
“Lastly, I want to give a huge thanks to Pacers fans in Indiana and across the country,” Vogel continued. “You all have treated my family and me with kindness and class throughout our time here and I can’t thank you enough for that. My family and I consider Indianapolis home and this community will always hold a special place in our hearts.”
Here’s more from Indiana:
- Vogel wasn’t a perfect coach, given his lack of adaptability and his failure to get the most out of ex-Pacers Evan Turner and Gerald Green, but he wasn’t inept at offense, which Bird wants more of, and the way Lance Stephenson, David West and Roy Hibbert have performed since leaving Indiana speaks to the coach’s value, as Zach Lowe of ESPN.com argues. Ultimately, the decision to let go of Vogel puts the onus on Bird’s acumen as an executive going forward, Lowe writes.
- Bird cited the success of a Celtics coaching move that took place in 1983 as one of the reasons he decided against retaining Vogel, and that, as well as his reluctance to consult star Paul George about his would-be position switch last year, shows the executive is stuck in the past, contends Gregg Doyel of The Indianapolis Star.
- The players were aware of Vogel’s status as a potential lame duck since the All-Star break, and they weren’t surprised by the announcement that the coach had been dismissed, notes Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star (Twitter links).
- Bird publicly relaying that Vogel tried to talk his way out of being dismissed likely won’t look good to potential coaching candidates, opines Nate Taylor of The Indianapolis Star. According to the scribe, that admission by Bird demonstrates to candidates that he is capable of disparaging them, whether he respects them or not.
- Bird’s stance that Vogel didn’t get the most out of Indiana’s roster this season isn’t necessarily correct, as many around the league believed the Pacers overachieved this season, writes Mike DeCourcy of The Sporting News. “It comes down to what you’re looking for going forward,” Bird said. “We’ve got some good players, and we’ve got two guys I think are really good players. And how are we going to get the other guys to raise their level of play? That’s what the new coach has got to do.”
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Pacers Eye D’Antoni, Jackson, Wittman, Woodson?
3:16pm: Mike D’Antoni, Mark Jackson, Randy Wittman and Mike Woodson are among the names Buckner hears connected to the job (Twitter link).
12:42pm: Bulls lead assistant coach Jim Boylen is also drawing mention, Berger hears (Twitter link). Boylen was a Pacers assistant from 2011-13.
12:26pm: Jeff Hornacek is expected to become a candidate as well, league sources tell Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). The former Suns coach is apparently interviewing for the Kings vacancy this week, and the Rockets are reportedly trying to arrange an interview with him, too.
11:20am: Nate McMillan and Brian Shaw are in the discussion to fill the head coaching vacancy on the Pacers, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Frank Vogel‘s contract expired and president of basketball operations Larry Bird decided against re-signing him. McMillan has been Indiana’s lead assistant since 2013 when he replaced Shaw, who left for the head coaching job with the Nuggets.
Shaw hasn’t coached since the Nuggets fired him last year at the end of a disappointing tenure in which he went 56-85. McMillan will reportedly interview for the Kings head coaching job today or Friday.
The 50-year-old Shaw spent two seasons with the Pacers as Vogel’s top deputy after seven years as a Lakers assistant. Incoming Lakers head coach Luke Walton would reportedly like to hire Shaw as an assistant, but many believe executive Jim Buss is wary of those with ties to Phil Jackson, whom Shaw played for and later coached under.
McMillan, 51, has a much lengthier resume as an NBA head coach, having compiled a 478-452 regular season record and a 14-20 mark in the playoffs during parts of 12 seasons with the SuperSonics and Trail Blazers. Portland fired him midway through the 2011/12 season.
Many speculated that former Rockets coach Kevin McHale, Bird’s longtime teammate, would become a candidate for the Pacers head coaching job if the position opened, but Bird said today that he won’t hire him.
Kings To Interview Nate McMillan
MAY 5TH, 11:09am: The interview will take place today or Friday, tweets Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star.
MAY 2ND, 8:20am: McMillan will interview soon, tweets Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. The Pacers are out of the playoffs following Sunday’s Game 7 loss to the Raptors, and uncertainty surrounds the job status of Pacers head coach Frank Vogel.
APRIL 28TH, 10:04pm: The Kings have asked the Pacers for permission to interview assistant coach Nate McMillan for the head coaching job in Sacramento, sources tell Vincent Goodwill of CSN Chicago (Twitter link). Sacramento reportedly hopes to make a hire sometime next week, but Goodwill indicates the Kings are willing to wait until Indiana’s playoff run is over to conduct the interview. The Pacers face an elimination game Friday against the Raptors.
Sacramento isn’t alone in its admiration for the former SuperSonics and Trail Blazers head coach, as Knicks team president Phil Jackson respects his “hard edge,” according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. It nonetheless doesn’t appear as though McMillan is a candidate for the Knicks job or any vacancy other than Sacramento’s at this point. Marc Stein of ESPN.com first identified the 51-year-old McMillan among those in the mix for the Kings opening.
McMillan is 478-452 in parts of a dozen seasons as an NBA head coach, with a 14-20 playoff record. He was last a head man for Portland, which fired him in March 2012.
The Kings have the NBA’s most well-populated list of reported candidates. They’ve interviewed Sam Mitchell, Vinny Del Negro and Mike Woodson and would like to do so with Luke Walton, Kevin McHale and Jeff Hornacek, according to various reports. Mark Jackson, Brian Shaw, Ettore Messina, Ime Udoka, Monty Williams, Jeff Van Gundy, Patrick Ewing, David Blatt, Jay Larranaga, Elston Turner and Henry Bibby are the other apparent candidates.