Tom Izzo Says Suns Offered Him Head Coaching Job
Jordan Ott has done a remarkable job of turning around the Suns, but the team had a much bigger target in mind during last year’s coaching search. Appearing Wednesday on the Dan Patrick Show (Twitter video link), Michigan State legend Tom Izzo revealed that he was offered the position and gave it strong consideration before declining.
“I’ve had more than a couple job offers in the NBA, looked at one last year with Phoenix – my former player (Suns owner) Mat Ishbia,” Izzo said. “That was hard, that was a hard thing to turn down … we talked seriously about it.”
Ishbia played for the Spartans from 1999-2002 and was part of the national championship team in 2000. Hiring Izzo is the type of splashy move that Ishbia tended to make after buying the Suns in 2023, but he has found success with Ott, another Michigan State alum, who had no previous NBA head coaching experience before accepting the job last June.
Izzo’s remarks came during a discussion about Connecticut’s Dan Hurley, who received an offer to coach the Lakers in 2024. Izzo, who was contacted by the Cavaliers and Hawks earlier in his career, advised Hurley to consider the unstable nature of college sports and admitted the current environment made him ponder a move to Phoenix, relays Doug Haller of The Athletic.
“No. 1, because I kind of wanted to go with (Ishbia). … And then, No. 2, I’ve been pretty vocal about it: I don’t like what’s going on in college athletics,” Izzo said. “And by the way, neither do 99.8 percent of the football and basketball coaches in America.”
Izzo, 71, has been the Spartans’ head coach since 1995 and has taken the team to eight Final Fours. His 764 career wins are the most in school history, and his teams have reached the NCAA Tournament in 28 consecutive seasons.
In his discussion with Patrick, Izzo said he has no plans to retire from coaching and reiterated his concern about the changes affecting the college game, such as the arrival of NIL money and relaxed transfer rules that make it easy for players to move from one school to another.
“I think something has to be done with the insanity that we’re going through,” he said. “I don’t think anyone else cares, so I’ll just keep plucking along and see if I can get to a Final Four again.”
Magic’s Franz Wagner Returning On Wednesday
4:02 pm: Wagner will be available for Wednesday’s game vs. Atlanta, the Magic have confirmed (via Twitter).
12:32 pm: Magic forward Franz Wagner has missed 47 of the team’s last 51 games while battling a left high ankle sprain, but he could make his return to action on Wednesday vs. Atlanta. According to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link), Wagner has been upgraded to questionable on the Magic’s injury report.
The expectation, tweets Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, is that Wagner will go through pregame warmups on Wednesday before the team determines whether or not he’ll be active tonight. Barring a setback, there’s a good chance he’ll suit up vs. the Hawks on a minutes restriction.
Wagner got off to a strong start this season, averaging 23.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in 34.5 minutes per game through his first 23 outings. He posted a shooting line of .487/.354/.823 in those games and led Orlando to a 14-9 start.
However, the 24-year-old suffered a high ankle sprain in his 24th game of the season and missed the Magic’s next 16 contests before returning to the court for a game in his home country of Germany on January 15. Although he also played in London three days later, Wagner later admitted that he probably rushed his comeback due to his desire to play in front of fans in Berlin.
Wagner sat out another nine games, then played twice on Feb. 9 and 11, but he suffered another setback related to his ankle and was ruled out indefinitely to allow for it to fully heal. If he plays on Wednesday, it will be just his 29th game of the season.
Head coach Jamahl Mosley indicated on Tuesday that Wagner was “progressing well” and had done some 5-on-5 work, which suggested his return was around the corner. Mosley previously told reporters there was no minimum number of games the German forward must play during the final couple weeks of the regular season in order for him to be available for the postseason.
Wednesday’s showdown with the Hawks could have be significant for playoff seeding purposes. The No. 8 Magic are currently one game back of the No. 7 Sixers, two games behind the No. 6 Raptors, and 2.5 games back of the No. 5 Hawks. They also have only a half-game cushion on the Heat and Hornets, who are tied for ninth in the East.
If Wagner isn’t activated on Wednesday, his next opportunity to suit up would be on Friday in Dallas.
Mavericks Targeting Big Names In Front Office Search
Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont has some big names on his wish list as the team seeks a new head of basketball operations, according to reports from Chris Mannix of SI.com and Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).
Mannix and Stein both identify Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens and Thunder executive VP of basketball operations Sam Presti as targets for Dallas, while Mannix also mentions Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman and Stein adds Spurs CEO R.C. Buford to the list.
However, Mannix describes some of those options as “fanciful,” while Stein agrees, suggesting the Mavericks know they probably don’t have a realistic shot at executives like Stevens and Presti, who have recently won championships with their respective teams. Still, those names reflect Dumont’s “lofty ambitions,” Stein writes, explaining that the Mavs governor wants to do his due diligence on some of the NBA’s top front office executives in case one might be attainable.
Another possible target cited by both Mannix and Stein is Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly. Some rival teams believe Connelly might leave his current position after this season, and Dallas hired former Wolves executive Ethan Casson as their president on the business side, according to Stein, though he adds that Minnesota appears motivated to work out a new deal to retain Connelly.
The target most frequently linked to the Mavericks by Stein’s sources is former Warriors general manager Bob Myers. But Myers accepted an “extremely lucrative” job last fall with Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, the group that owns the Sixers, and his responsibilities in that position span multiple sports. It remains to be seen whether he’d leave that role to return to an NBA front office, so he should probably be considered a long shot for the Mavs as well, Stein says.
Here’s more on the Mavs’ front office search:
- Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd had some conversations about transitioning to a front office role, sources tell Mannix. But both he and Stein hear that Kidd is much more likely to remain in his current position and partner with a new general manager.
- A number of “top aides to lead decision-makers” around the NBA have expressed back-channel interest in the Mavericks’ job, Stein reports. Even though the team has begun doing its homework on potential candidates, the search isn’t expected to begin “in earnest” until the regular season wraps up, Stein continues, adding that current co-interim GMs Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley are still considered candidates for the full-time job.
- Following up on his recent note about the Mavs not hiring a firm to guide their front office search, Stein says Dumont is considered the “point person” in the process.
- Speaking on Tuesday to a group of reporters, Mavs CEO Rick Welts had the following to say about the front office search, per Stein: “There is no specific set of characteristics. I can tell you there is a variety of candidates who present a variety of different personalities … different track records. It’s the most important decision that the organization is going to make for the coming seasons. So we are going to take our time and get it right.”
Draymond Green Considered Unlikely To Test FA Market
Longtime Warriors forward Draymond Green holds a $27.7MM player option for the 2026/27 season, giving him the ability to opt out of his contract and test the unrestricted free agent market in search of a change of scenery. However, league and team sources don’t expect him to take that route, according to ESPN’s Anthony Slater.
As Slater explains, the expectation is that Green will either exercise his option, locking in a $27.7MM salary for next season, or turn down that option in order to negotiate a multiyear deal with Golden State that features a lower first-year cap hit. Taking the latter route, Slater writes, would likely increase the odds of the 36-year-old finishing his career with the Warriors.
Slater’s update on Green’s contract situation comes within a larger profile on the former Defensive Player of the Year and his place within the organization as he nears the end of his 14th season in the NBA. Although Green didn’t discuss his next contract with ESPN, he did address a number of other topics, including the trade rumors involving him earlier this year.
The Warriors reportedly pursued Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo at February’s trade deadline and almost certainly would’ve included Green in their package in order to match Antetokounmpo’s maximum-salary contract. Green was aware of the situation, and while he admits he was initially irked by the idea, he understood the team’s thinking and quickly accepted it.
“I’m a human being,” Green said. “There was a second of me that felt like, ‘Damn, they really going to do that to me?’ … (But) I understand this business probably (as) good as any player. I understand like, yo, this is Giannis Antetokounmpo. They’re not just about to trade me for a bag of peanuts. It would’ve almost been a point of pride.
“I’ll be honest though. I didn’t want to play for Milwaukee.”
League sources tell Slater that if the Warriors and Bucks had made a trade involving Giannis and Draymond, Green had the Los Angeles teams – the Lakers and Clippers – on his radar as possible landing spots he could be rerouted to. However, it doesn’t sound at this point as if being involved in those trade rumors will spur him to seek an exit from Golden State this summer.
Whether or not Green’s Warriors career continues beyond 2025/26, he remains confident that he can be an impact player, especially on defense. While he admitted that he’s “not as fast” as he was and doesn’t “jump as high” as he used to, Green still believes he’s among the NBA’s most impactful defenders, placing only Victor Wembanyama above himself, according to Slater.
“I feel better defensively than I ever have,” Green said. “The numbers won’t show with straight up steals and blocks. Stocks, which is what people look at. But I just do it a different way. I can’t get the block shot all the time anymore, but I can cover it. I may not come up with the steal, but I make sure (the action is) gridlocked.”
Green is technically already eligible for a veteran contract extension that would replace his ’26/27 player option, so there’s nothing stopping him and the Warriors from discussing his next deal sooner rather than later.
Lakers, Nuggets Clinch Playoff Berths
The Lakers and Nuggets clinched playoff spots on Tuesday. Both teams entered tonight’s action in position to clinch those spots if the Suns lost, according to the league office. Phoenix obliged by falling to Orlando, 115-111.
Los Angeles, which also secured the Pacific Division title on Tuesday, is looking to hold off Denver for the third spot in the Western Conference. The Lakers won their 50th game on Tuesday and currently have a two-game lead over the Nuggets.
Both teams are trying to stay ahead of the Timberwolves and Rockets — the fifth and sixth place teams in the standings — to secure home-court advantage during the first round of the playoffs.
The Lakers have ridden the excellence of Luka Doncic, the league’s top scorer, to go 15-2 over the last 17 games. Carried by their MVP candidate, Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets have overcome injuries throughout the season and will head into Wednesday’s action on a six-game winning streak.
The Lakers and Nuggets join the Thunder and Spurs as teams in the Western Conference that have already secured guaranteed (ie. top-six) playoff berths.
Jaylen Wells Undergoes Toe Surgery, Out For Rest Of Season
March 31: Wells has undergone a successful procedure to stabilize his right big toe and will miss the rest of the 2025/26 season, the Grizzlies confirmed today in a press release (Twitter link).
March 29: Second-year wing Jaylen Wells will undergo surgery to address a tendon avulsion fracture in his right big toe, the Grizzlies announced today (via Twitter). The team didn’t provide a timeline for Wells’ recovery, but he’s expected to miss the rest of the season.
Wells played 69 games this season, all starts, and averaged 12.5 points in 26.4 minutes per night on .431/.353/.784 shooting splits. He contributed 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists per contest, putting up similar numbers across the board to the ones he posted in 2024/25, when he finished third in Rookie of the Year voting.
Wells missed the previous three games for the Grizzlies while dealing with this injury. The club indicated in its announcement that he’s expected to make a full recovery.
Memphis was officially eliminated from playoff contention on Wednesday, and Wells now joins an extensive list of Grizzlies who have been ruled out for the rest of the season as the team looks to maximize its draft positioning. Michael Wallace of Grind City Media notes (Twitter link) that he is the fifth Grizzlies player this season to undergo season-ending surgery, joining Zach Edey (elbow), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (finger), Scotty Pippen Jr. (toe), and Santi Aldama (knee).
Amar’e Stoudemire Among 2026 Hall Of Fame Class
Confirming a Monday report that indicated Doc Rivers will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link) adds a few more names to the class of 2026, reporting that Amar’e Stoudemire, Candace Parker, and Elena Delle Donne are also headed to the Hall of Fame.
Stoudemire, who was in his second year of Hall of Fame eligibility, played in the NBA for 14 seasons from 2002-16. He appeared in 846 regular season games for the Suns, Knicks, Mavericks, and Heat, averaging 18.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 31.0 minutes per contest.
A dynamic, athletic power forward, Stoudemire was the Rookie of the Year in 2003 and enjoyed his best years in Phoenix, making five All-Star games as a Sun and earning MVP votes in four separate seasons. Led by Stoudemire, Steve Nash, and Shawn Marion and coached by Mike D’Antoni, those Suns teams of the 2000s featured an explosive, fast-paced offense that was a precursor in many ways to the modern game, though the club never advanced past the Western Conference finals.
Stoudemire moved onto the Knicks in 2010 and had one more All-Star season in New York before health issues began to slow him down and his production tailed off. He finished his playing career with six All-Star berths and five All-NBA nods (one first team and four second team). His No. 32 jersey was later retired by the Suns.
Parker, who will turn 40 in April, was a two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player who won three titles. Although the former No. 1 overall pick spent most of her 16 years in the league with the Los Angeles Sparks, she had brief stints the Chicago Sky and Las Vegas Aces near the end of her career and won championships with all three teams.
Parker was a seven-time All-Star who made 10 All-WNBA teams and ranks 10th on the league’s all-time scoring list, as well as third in total career rebounds and fifth in blocked shots. She currently works as a broadcaster for Amazon Prime Video.
Delle Donne is another two-time WNBA MVP and seven-time All-Star. The former wing was the second overall pick in the 2013 draft and spent a total of 10 seasons with the Chicago Sky and Washington Mystics, winning a championship with the Mystics in 2019.
That ’19 season was one of Delle Donne’s two MVP campaigns. She became the first WNBA player to achieve a 50/40/90 shooting season that year, posting an incredible shooting line of .515/.430/.974. Her 93.7% career free throw percentage ranks first all-time among WNBA players.
The full 2026 Hall of Fame class, featuring Stoudemire, Parker, Delle Donne, and Rivers, will be formally announced this Saturday, April 4.
Tom Dundon Officially Buys Blazers After NBA Approves Deal
March 31: Dundon’s group has formally closed on its purchase of majority control of the Blazers, the team confirmed today in a press release.
“Today is the beginning of a new chapter for the Portland Trail Blazers, as we build on the legacy of this storied franchise,” Dundon said in a statement. “On behalf of our ownership group, my commitment to this tremendous fan base is that we are going to be relentless towards building a team that can compete at the highest level, every single season.”
In addition to confirming that Zahr, Tyle, Middleman, and Andrew Cherng are part of the new ownership group and will be alternative governors, the Blazers announced that Richard Chaifetz, Marc Grandisson, Nayel Nassar and Jennifer Gates, Taavet Hinrikus, and Dan Zilberman are also among the investors in the team. Jennifer Gates is the daughter of Bill Gates (Nassar is her husband).
March 30: The NBA’s Board of Governors has approved the sale of the Trail Blazers to a group spearheaded by Tom Dundon, who also owns the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, reports Jason Quick of The Athletic.
The vote was unanimous, a league source told Quick.
The NBA put out a brief statement confirming the news (Twitter link).
Sportico reported back in August that Dundon’s group had reached a tentative agreement to purchase the Trail Blazers in two separate payments at a blended valuation of about $4.25 billion.
As Quick details, Dundon’s group will buy 80.1 percent of the team at a $4 billion valuation on Tuesday, March 31. The remaining 19.9 percent will be purchased at a $4.5 billion valuation and must close by Sept. 1, 2028.
After the first payment is made – but before the second – current Blazers vice chairman Bert Kolde will be able to passively observe board meetings, though he won’t have any input on decisions, per Quick.
The Trail Blazers announced their plans to sell the franchise back in May. Paul Allen, the longtime Blazers owner who purchased the franchise for $70MM in 1988, passed away on October 15, 2018, resulting in control of the team being transferred to his sister Jody Allen, the trustee and executor of his estate.
All estate proceeds as a result of the Blazers sale will be directed toward philanthropy, per Paul Allen’s wishes.
In addition to owning the NHL’s Hurricanes, Dundon has invested heavily in pickleball — he’s the majority owner of the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball. Dundon, who is also the chairman and managing partner of the Dallas-based investment firm Dundon Capital Partners, will serve as the Blazers’ new governor.
According to Quick, other investors in the new ownership group include Blue Owl Capital co-president Marc Zahr, Collective Global co-CEO Sheel Tyle, the Cherng family (owners of Panda Express), and Freedom Mortgage CEO Stanley Middleman, who owns part of the MLB’s Philadelphia Phillies.
Virginia Hires Malcolm Brogdon As Strategic Advisor
Former NBA guard Malcolm Brogdon has accepted a position at his alma mater, the University of Virginia. The school announced today in a press release that Brogdon will serve as a strategic advisor for Virginia’s men’s basketball program.
Head coach Ryan Odom made the announcement, stating that the team is “thrilled” to welcome back the former All-American and ACC Player of the Year in the newly created role.
“I am honored to be a part of this new era of UVA basketball,” Brogdon said. “I know this is a new role, but I see myself jumping right in and being a resource for the players, coaches, and the entire basketball program. I’m excited to return to a place I consider home in what I’m sure will be a meaningful experience for myself and the program.”
It has become increasingly common in the past year or two for NBA players to accept jobs with their former colleges. For instance, Stephen Curry was named the assistant GM at Davidson, Trae Young became the assistant GM at Oklahoma, Terance Mann joined Florida State as the Seminoles’ assistant GM, and Patty Mills was hired by the University of Hawai’i as their GM.
In most of those cases, the players’ new roles represented part-time positions, since they continue competing in the NBA or in Europe. However, that’s not the case for Brogdon, who announced his retirement as a player last October after spending training camp and the preseason with the Knicks. While it remains to be seen just how hands-on and full-time his new job will be, he should have plenty of time to dedicate to it.
A four-year standout at Virginia, Brogdon was a consensus second-team All-American in 2015 and a consensus first-teamer in 2016. He was named the ACC’s Defensive Player of the Year in both seasons and earned the conference’s Player of the Year award in 2016. His jersey (No. 15) was later retired by the Cavaliers.
Brogdon fell to the second round of the 2016 draft (No. 36 overall) due to medical red flags, but was the NBA’s Rookie of the Year in 2017 with the Bucks and won a Sixth Man of the Year award with the Celtics in 2023. The veteran guard, who turned 33 in December, spent three seasons in Milwaukee and three in Indiana before playing one year apiece in Boston, Portland, and Washington.
A reliable contributor on both ends of the court who battled injuries over the course of a nine-year NBA career, Brogdon had averages of 15.3 points, 4.7 assists, and 4.1 rebounds in 29.1 minutes per game across 463 total regular season outings, with a shooting line of .463/.388/.874. He also served as a vice president on the NBPA’s executive committee from 2019-25.
Masai Ujiri Joins Toronto Tempo Ownership Group, Eyes Potential NBA Return
Longtime NBA front office executive Masai Ujiri has joined the ownership group of the Toronto Tempo, the WNBA expansion team announced today (via Twitter), referring to the former Raptors president as a “principal owner.”
“I think women’s sports is growing in an incredible way,” Ujiri told Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. “You see it in the WNBA, in soccer, in hockey, and to bring a brand like this for the first time to a city that I know, a beautiful city that’s passionate, that I believe in — I think this will really resonate. Ownership is a unique opportunity for me and my family.”
Ujiri, who was hired to run the Raptors’ front office in the spring of 2013, remained in that role until last summer, when the team abruptly parted ways with him in late June, just ahead of the free agent period. Changes within the Raptors’ ownership group were cited as one key reason for the split; the club had also missed the playoffs in four of the past five seasons at the time of Ujiri’s exit.
According to Shelburne, Ujiri has spent the past year spending more time with his family and focusing on non-NBA pursuits, including his work with Giants of Africa, the United Nations, and the Zaria Group, a development company aiming to build sports and entertainment infrastructure in Africa.
However, that doesn’t mean the NBA has been completely off Ujiri’s radar. As Shelburne details, the veteran executive has remained in touch with several coaches, execs, and owners from around the league, as well as former Raptors players, and remains open to the idea of returning to the NBA if the right opportunity arises.
“I’ve been learning more about our game, the NBA, looking at trends and what we might be missing by studying other leagues,” Ujiri told ESPN. “I spend a lot of my time trying to do that because one of my main goals is to win another championship. I want to win with the Tempo and I want to win another NBA championship because I wasn’t able to celebrate and be happy because of that police incident that happened to me. … There’s a hunger in me because of what happened. I want to win again so I can actually enjoy it.”
Ujiri’s comment is a reference to an incident that took place during the closing seconds of the Raptors’ Game 6 win of the 2019 NBA Finals in Golden State. A security guard at Oracle Arena prevented him from coming onto the court to celebrate the team’s championship because he didn’t show the proper credentials, which resulted in a brief shoving match.
The security guard, a San Francisco-area sheriff’s deputy, sued Ujiri for assault, while the Raptors exec filed a countersuit, alleging racial bias and contending that footage of the altercation showed that the deputy was “undeniably the initial aggressor.” Both suits were eventually dropped, but the saga understandably put a damper on what should have been the high point of Ujiri’s professional career.
With the Tempo, Ujiri will be part of an ownership group led by Larry Tanenbaum, his former partner with the Raptors. Tanenbaum has been the governor of the NBA team since 1998, but is obligated to begin selling his 20% stake in the Raptors this year.
As for a possible NBA return for Ujiri, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca notes (via Twitter) that it may not be long before expansion franchises in Seattle and Las Vegas enter the league and begin building their respective front offices. Lewenberg suggests he wouldn’t be shocked if Ujiri ends up running the basketball operations department for one of those teams.