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Kelvin Sampson, Joseph Blair Interview For Bucks Job

May 17th, 2023 at 5:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

University of Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson interviewed with the Bucks about their coaching vacancy, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Sampson has an NBA background, having spent six years in the league as an assistant coach, including three in Milwaukee. He left for the NCAA in 2014 and has turned the Cougars into one of college basketball’s best programs, making four straight trips to the Sweet 16.

Wojnarowski notes that Sampson has worked with general manager Jon Horst, who was part of the Bucks’ front office while Sampson was an assistant under Scott Skiles from 2008-11.

[RELATED: 2023 NBA Head Coaching Search Tracker]

Milwaukee has been conducting an extensive search since Mike Budenholzer was fired following a first-round playoff loss, but Sampson is the first college coach to get an interview, sources tell Wojnarowski.

The process has mainly focused on current NBA assistants such as Charles Lee, Kenny Atkinson, Scott Brooks, Adrian Griffin, Chris Quinn and Kevin Young, along with former Hornets head coach James Borrego. The Bucks are also reported to have interest in Monty Williams, who was fired by the Suns over the weekend.

Wizards assistant Joseph Blair also recently had an interview in Milwaukee, Wojnarowski tweets. Blair won a G League championship with Rio Grande Valley in 2019 before becoming an assistant with Philadelphia, Minnesota and Washington.

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James Harden Intends To Decline Option, Seek Long-Term Deal

May 17th, 2023 at 12:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Sixers guard James Harden plans to turn down his $35.6MM player option for 2023/24 and seek a long-term contract, reports Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report. According to Haynes, Harden hopes to sign a four-year deal in free agency.

Harden will turn 34 in August, so this summer could be his last and best opportunity to secure a significant multiyear contract. He took a pay cut a year ago in order to give Philadelphia the cap flexibility necessary to add roster reinforcements.

The Rockets have been repeatedly linked to Harden since December, and those rumors have only intensified since the Sixers were eliminated from the playoffs over the weekend. However, sources tell Haynes that the former Arizona State standout will only consider suitors that can provide a “competitive roster and the basketball freedom” for Harden to be himself.

That makes Philadelphia the most logical option for now, according to Haynes, who suggests the Rockets would have to retool their roster to some extent if they’re committed to the idea of a reunion with Harden and want to sell the former MVP on the situation in Houston.

Although Harden missed out on All-Star honors this year for the first time since 2012, he still posted strong numbers during the regular season, averaging 21.0 points, a league-leading 10.7 assists, and 6.1 rebounds per game with a .441/.385/.867 shooting line in 58 appearances (36.8 MPG).

His playoff production was inconsistent — his overall averages of 20.3 PPG, 8.3 APG, and 6.2 RPG were solid, but he shot just 39.3% from the field during the postseason and averaged only 12.5 PPG in four losses to Boston.

Asked on Wednesday during his end-of-season media session about the possibility of retaining Harden for next season, Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey told reporters, “We can’t have those discussions yet, but we are interested in bringing him back” (Twitter link via Derek Bodner of The Daily Six).

When Morey was asked if that would mean signing Harden to a new contract, he responded, “Well, that’s the only way to do it,” signaling that the 76ers had been planning for the 10-time All-Star to opt out even before Haynes‘ report.

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Commissioner Silver “Shocked” By Morant Video

May 17th, 2023 at 7:30am CST by Rory Maher

MAY 17: After Silver spoke to Andrews on Tuesday, Morant issued a statement through his representatives addressing the recent viral video, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.

“I know I’ve disappointed a lot of people who have supported me,” Morant said. “This is a journey and I recognize there is more work to do. My words may not mean much right now, but I take full accountability for my actions. I’m committed to continuing to work on myself.”

MAY 16: In a TV appearance at the draft lottery Tuesday evening, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said he was “shocked” by the latest incident of Ja Morant appearing to waive a gun on social media, he told ESPN’s Malika Andrews (Twitter video link).

“Honestly, I was shocked when I saw this weekend that video,” Silver said. “Now, we’re in the process of investigating it, and we’ll figure out exactly what happened to the best we can. The video is a bit grainy and all that, but I’m assuming the worst.”

The incident came less than two-and-a-half months after Morant flashed a firearm at a Denver-area strip club while streaming on Instagram Live. That video, which immediately prompted an investigation from the NBA, eventually led to an eight-game suspension.

“We talked directly about the consequences first,” Silver said of his conversation with Morant following the first incident (hat tip to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon). “Before we got to a subsequent potential to have done something wrong, we were very focused on the misconduct that was in front of us at the time. Frankly, most of our conversation was about how incredibly serious the first incident was of waving a firearm on social media.

“Again, the consequences there — an eight-game suspension — was pretty serious and something that he, at least to me, seemed to take incredibly seriously in that time. And we spoke for a long time about not just the consequences that could have on his career, but the safety issues around it — (Morant) could’ve injured, maimed, killed himself, someone else with an act like that — and also the acknowledgment that he’s a star.

“He has an incredibly huge following, and (we discussed) my concern — and I thought he shared with me — that millions, if not tens of millions, of kids globally would have seen him do something that was celebrating in a way that act of using a firearm in that fashion.”

Morant’s live stream in March was part of a series of troubling off-court incidents allegedly involving the 23-year-old, who punched a 17-year-old during a pickup game last summer, was accused of threatening a security guard at a Memphis mall, and was reportedly involved in a confrontation with members of the Pacers’ traveling party after a January game.

Morant didn’t face any criminal charges for the March incident and almost certainly won’t face any for this video either, but the NBA has significant latitude to fine or suspend its players for conduct it deems detrimental to the league.

The most recent reporting has indicated that Morant, who was suspended from all team activities by the Grizzlies after the latest video, is likely to face a much harsher punishment this time around.

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Full 2023 NBA Draft Order

May 16th, 2023 at 10:23pm CST by Luke Adams

Now that the NBA’s draft lottery results are in, the full 2023 draft order has been set.

We’ll likely see some of these picks change hands on June 23, or in the days leading up to draft night — we’ll be sure to update the list below if and when picks are traded.

Here’s the full 2023 NBA draft order:

First Round:

  1. San Antonio Spurs
  2. Charlotte Hornets
  3. Portland Trail Blazers
  4. Houston Rockets
  5. Detroit Pistons
  6. Orlando Magic
  7. Indiana Pacers
  8. Washington Wizards
  9. Utah Jazz
  10. Dallas Mavericks
  11. Orlando Magic (from Bulls)
  12. Oklahoma City Thunder
  13. Toronto Raptors
  14. New Orleans Pelicans
  15. Atlanta Hawks
  16. Utah Jazz (from Timberwolves)
  17. Los Angeles Lakers
  18. Miami Heat
  19. Golden State Warriors
  20. Houston Rockets (from Clippers)
  21. Brooklyn Nets (from Suns)
  22. Brooklyn Nets
  23. Portland Trail Blazers (from Knicks)
  24. Sacramento Kings
  25. Memphis Grizzlies
  26. Indiana Pacers (from Cavaliers)
  27. Charlotte Hornets (from Nuggets)
  28. Utah Jazz (from Sixers)
  29. Indiana Pacers (from Celtics)
  30. Los Angeles Clippers (from Bucks)

Second Round:

  1. Detroit Pistons
  2. Indiana Pacers (from Rockets)
  3. San Antonio Spurs
  4. Charlotte Hornets
  5. Boston Celtics (from Trail Blazers)
  6. Orlando Magic
  7. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Wizards)
  8. Sacramento Kings (from Pacers)
  9. Charlotte Hornets (from Jazz)
  10. Denver Nuggets (from Mavericks)
  11. Charlotte Hornets (from Thunder)
  12. Washington Wizards (from Bulls)
  13. Portland Trail Blazers (from Hawks)
  14. San Antonio Spurs (from Raptors)
  15. Memphis Grizzlies (from Timberwolves)
  16. Atlanta Hawks (from Pelicans)
  17. Los Angeles Lakers
  18. Los Angeles Clippers
  19. Cleveland Cavaliers (from Warriors)
  20. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Heat)
  21. Brooklyn Nets
  22. Phoenix Suns
  23. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Knicks)
  24. Sacramento Kings
  25. Indiana Pacers (from Cavaliers)
  26. Memphis Grizzlies
  27. Chicago Bulls (from Nuggets)
  28. Philadelphia 76ers
  29. Washington Wizards (from Celtics)
  30. Milwaukee Bucks
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Wizards Interview Trajan Langdon For Front Office Job

May 16th, 2023 at 9:40pm CST by Rory Maher

The Wizards have formally interviewed Trajan Langdon for their head of basketball operations vacancy, sources tell Josh Robbins and David Aldridge of The Athletic (Twitter link).

A former first-round pick who spent three seasons in the NBA and several overseas, Langdon has been the Pelicans‘ general manager since 2019. He started his front office career with San Antonio as a scout from 2012-15, had a one-year stop in Cleveland, and was an assistant GM with Brooklyn from 2016-19.

Langdon currently works under Pelicans VP of basketball operations David Griffin. The two have a longstanding work relationship, as Langdon was hired by Griffin when he was running the Cavs’ front office.

The 47-year-old was the first Alaskan to play in the NBA when he was drafted by Cleveland in 1999. Langdon was first identified as a potential candidate by Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today after the Wizards fired president of basketball operations and general manager Tommy Sheppard.

Ava Wallace of The Washington Post reported a couple weeks ago that the Wizards had spoken to Langdon, but cautioned that the team was still in the “information-gathering” stage. Bucks assistant GM Milt Newton was another candidate Wallace mentioned.

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Spurs Win 2023 NBA Draft Lottery; Hornets, Blazers, Rockets In Top Four

May 16th, 2023 at 7:27pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs have won the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes.

San Antonio claimed the No. 1 overall pick in Tuesday night’s draft lottery, putting the club in position to select Wembanyama, a 7’5″ French phenom who is widely considered the top NBA prospect since LeBron James.

The top 14 slots for the 2023 draft have officially been set. The lottery order is as follows:

  1. San Antonio Spurs
  2. Charlotte Hornets
  3. Portland Trail Blazers
  4. Houston Rockets
  5. Detroit Pistons
  6. Orlando Magic
  7. Indiana Pacers
  8. Washington Wizards
  9. Utah Jazz
  10. Dallas Mavericks
  11. Orlando Magic (from Bulls)
  12. Oklahoma City Thunder
  13. Toronto Raptors
  14. New Orleans Pelicans

It’s the third time in franchise history that the Spurs have won a draft lottery and earned the right to add a generational big man to their roster. San Antonio drafted David Robinson with the No. 1 overall pick in 1987 and Tim Duncan with the top pick in 1997.

The Spurs entered the night third in the lottery standings, but had a 14.0% chance at the No. 1 pick, the same odds as Detroit and Houston, the top two teams in the lottery standings.

The Pistons are the biggest loser of the night, slipping all the way out of the top four after finishing the season with the NBA’s worst record at 17-65. It also wasn’t an ideal outcome for the Rockets, who slipped from second to fourth in a draft widely considered to have a consensus top three prospects.

The Hornets, who had a 12.5% chance at the No. 1 pick and a 48.1% chance to end up in the top four, move up two spots to No. 2 and will likely decide between G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson and Alabama wing Brandon Miller, who are viewed as the next-best prospects behind Wembanyama.

Henderson was once considered a lock for the No. 2 spot, but had an up-and-down year in the G League while Miller had a big freshman season for the Crimson Tide.

At No. 3, the Trail Blazers also moved up two spots and are the night’s other big winner — they’ll be in position to draft either Henderson or Miller, whichever one the Hornets pass on. Of course, Portland badly wants to build a roster around Damian Lillard that’s capable of contending sooner rather than later, so it’s possible the team will listen to offers for its lottery pick, but the price would presumably be extremely high.

Outside of the top five, the remaining lottery picks remain unchanged from the pre-lottery order. That means the Mavericks will keep their first-round pick, which would have been sent to the Knicks if it had slipped out of the top 10. Dallas will instead owe New York its 2024 first-rounder with top-10 protection.

The Bulls, meanwhile, would have hung onto their lottery pick if it had moved into the top four, but it will be sent to the Magic since it fell outside of its protected range. That pick was the last asset that Chicago owed to Orlando as part of the 2021 Nikola Vucevic trade.

Tuesday’s lottery results also shook up the order of the second round. Because San Antonio will be picking ahead of Houston in the first round, the Rockets’ second-round pick has moved up from No. 33 to No. 32, which means it will be sent to the Pacers instead of the Celtics.

That’s great news for the Pacers, who move up 18 spots from No. 50 as a result of that lottery outcome and a convoluted set of trade criteria involving multiple second-rounders. Rather than getting Houston’s pick, Boston will receive Portland’s second-rounder at No. 35, while the Thunder – who had been in position to get No. 35, will instead pick at No. 50.

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Matthew Dellavedova Agrees To Two-Year Deal With Melbourne United

May 16th, 2023 at 5:34pm CST by Rory Maher

Free agent guard Matthew Dellavedova, who played for the Kings in 2022/23 but was unavailable in the playoffs after undergoing finger surgery, has agreed to a two-year contract with Melbourne United, Australia’s National Basketball League announced in a press release.

A nine-year NBA veteran, Dellavedova spent most of his career with Cleveland, winning a championship with the Cavs in ’15/16. He also played for the Bucks from 2016-18.

The 32-year-old played for Melbourne United in his native Australia during the ’21/22 season, so it’s a reunion between the two sides.

“I’m really excited to be coming back to Melbourne United,” Dellavedova said. “I want to come back and win a championship here. It’s a great club that has a really strong culture and I’m happy to be back a part of it.

“I had a lot of fun the year I was here. There’s excitement about getting to play with a lot of those same guys we had success with a year ago. It was a great group of guys, some I knew and some I grew close with.”

Dellavedova was on a minimum-salary contract this season for Sacramento and was mostly used for emergency depth, appearing in 32 games for an average of just 6.7 minutes per contest. He has a shared history with Mike Brown, having played for the Kings’ head coach with the Cavs when he was a rookie.

Long known for his hustle, competitiveness and determination, Dellavedova holds career averages of 5.2 points and 3.5 assists in 479 regular season games (93 starts, 19.4 minutes).

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Grizzlies’ Desmond Bane Undergoes Toe Surgery

May 16th, 2023 at 1:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Grizzlies wing Desmond Bane underwent surgery on Tuesday to address a fracture of the medial sesamoid bone in his right big toe, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link). The expectation is that Bane will be fully recovered before the 2023/24 season begins.

Bane sustained the injury, which was initially diagnosed as a sprain rather than a break, on November 11. He missed Memphis’ next 17 games before returning to action on December 23.

Although Bane played through the injury for most of the year, he acknowledged in January during a podcast appearance that he’d probably have to get it “taken care of” during the offseason. “You never know how much you need to use your big toe until you can’t use it,” the 24-year-old said at the time.

Bane averaged a career-high 21.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game in 58 appearances (31.7 MPG) during his third NBA season in 2022/23, making over 40% of his three-pointers for a third consecutive year. He’ll be eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason and appears to be in line for a significant payday.

With Ja Morant possibly facing a lengthy suspension to begin the 2023/24 season, Bane will be in position to take on a larger role on the court for the Grizzlies this fall as long as he’s back to full health. He’ll also likely be counted on to assume more leadership responsibilities in the locker room, given that Morant – Memphis’ ostensible franchise player – continues to make negative headlines off the court.

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Sixers Dismiss Head Coach Doc Rivers

May 16th, 2023 at 10:51am CST by Luke Adams

10:51am: The Sixers have issued a press release confirming the dismissal of Rivers.

“Doc is one of the most successful coaches in NBA history, a future Hall of Famer, and someone I respect immensely,” Morey said in a statement. “We’re grateful for all he did in his three seasons here and thank him for the important impact he made on our franchise. After having the chance to reflect upon our season, we decided that certain changes are necessary to further our goals of competing for a championship.””

10:16am: The Sixers are parting ways with head coach Doc Rivers, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

Rivers’ hold on his job was considered shaky after Philadelphia lost Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals to Boston on Sunday. A tight game at halftime turned into a blowout Celtics victory after Boston outscored the 76ers by a 33-10 margin in the third quarter.

The loss resulted in the Sixers’ third consecutive second-round playoff exit since Rivers was hired in 2020. During that time, the veteran coach led the club to a 154-82 (.653) regular season record but failed to make a deep playoff run. Philadelphia was eliminated by Atlanta in 2021 and Miami in 2022, losing the final game of the series at home in both instances.

Rivers is one of several accomplished head coaches to be let go this spring, joining recent champions and/or Coaches of the Year like Mike Budenholzer, Monty Williams, and Nick Nurse.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN observes (via Twitter), Phoenix, Milwaukee, and Philadelphia lead the NBA in regular season victories since the start of the 2020/21 season, but all three clubs are making head coaching changes this offseason following disappointing postseason showings.

Previous reporting from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype indicated that Williams, Nurse, and Mike D’Antoni would likely be candidates to replace Rivers if the Sixers were to make a change. Wojnarowski confirms those names and adds a few more to Philadelphia’s list of potential candidates, tweeting that Budenholzer, Sam Cassell, and Frank Vogel are also expected to factor into the team’s search.

Of those six candidates, only Cassell – who is an assistant on Philadelphia’s staff – lacks head coaching experience. D’Antoni, Williams, Vogel are all former Sixers assistants, while D’Antoni has a long-standing relationship with president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, having coached the Rockets during Morey’s time in Houston.

The decision to dismiss Rivers is the first one in a big offseason for the Sixers. While MVP center Joel Embiid is on a long-term contract, his co-star James Harden will reach free agency if he turns down his 2023/24 player option and has been repeatedly linked to the Rockets. Harden offered Rivers a very lukewarm endorsement following Sunday’s loss, so it’s possible the 10-time All-Star will be more inclined to remain in Philadelphia under a new head coach.

As for Rivers, it’s unclear at this point whether he’ll immediately emerge as a candidate to take over as the head coach for another NBA team. There are four clubs besides the Sixers with head coaching vacancies: Milwaukee, Phoenix, Toronto, and Detroit.

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2023 NBA Draft Lottery Primer

May 16th, 2023 at 7:33am CST by Luke Adams

The 2023 NBA draft lottery will take place on Tuesday night prior to Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals between the Nuggets and Lakers. The half-hour event will be broadcast on ESPN beginning at 7:00 pm Central time.

This year’s draft pool features potential superstar Victor Wembanyama, who is widely considered to be the best prospect to enter the NBA draft since LeBron James in 2003.

Other prospects, including Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller, would make terrific consolation prizes, but every team with a lottery pick will enter Tuesday night dreaming on the possibility of landing the No. 1 selection and drafting the French phenom Wembanyama.

Here’s what you need to know heading into tonight’s lottery:

Pre-Lottery Draft Order:

The top 14 picks in the 2023 NBA draft would look like this if tonight’s lottery results don’t change the order:

  1. Detroit Pistons
  2. Houston Rockets
  3. San Antonio Spurs
  4. Charlotte Hornets
  5. Portland Trail Blazers
  6. Orlando Magic
  7. Indiana Pacers
  8. Washington Wizards
  9. Utah Jazz
  10. Dallas Mavericks
    • Note: The Knicks will receive this pick if it falls out of the top 10.
  11. Orlando Magic (from Bulls)
    • Note: The Bulls will retain this pick if it moves into the top four.
  12. Oklahoma City Thunder
  13. Toronto Raptors
  14. New Orleans Pelicans

For the full pre-lottery draft order, click here.

Draft Lottery Odds:

The Pistons, Rockets, and Spurs have the best odds to land the No. 1 pick. Each of those four teams has a 14.0% chance to pick first overall.

From there, the Hornets (12.5%), Trail Blazers (10.5%), Magic (9.0%), Pacers (6.8%), and Wizards (6.7%) have the next-best odds to receive the first overall pick.

When the NBA introduced its new lottery format in 2019, the selling point was that the new system flattened the odds, making it less likely that the league’s very worst teams would claim a top pick.

Before the NBA tweaked the lottery rules, there was a 60.5% chance that one of the league’s bottom three teams would secure the No. 1 pick and only a 27.6% chance that a team in the 5-14 range of the lottery standings would do so. Now, those odds are 42.0% and 45.5%, respectively.

Still, there haven’t been many huge surprises in the years since the new format was implemented.

The Pelicans moved up from No. 7 in the lottery standings in 2019 to claim the first overall pick, which they used on Zion Williamson. Since then though, every team to win the draft lottery has been in the top three in the lottery standings.

Perhaps we’re due for a more significant shake-up in 2023. There’s a 19.2% chance that a team in the back half of the lottery (Nos. 8-14) wins the No. 1 pick. That works out to about 1-in-5 odds, and this will be the fifth time the NBA has employed its revamped lottery format.

For this year’s full draft lottery odds for all 14 spots, click here.

For full details on the revamped lottery format, click here.

Trades Affecting The Draft Lottery:

Dallas and Chicago finished as lottery teams in 2022/23, but each may have to convey its first-round pick to another team, depending on Tuesday’s results.

The Mavericks traded their 2023 first-round pick to the Knicks, but would keep that selection if it lands within the top 10. There’s a 79.8% chance that will happen and a 20.2% chance it will slip to No. 11 or below and be sent to New York.

If Dallas retains its first-rounder this year, the club would instead owe its 2024 first-round pick (top-10 protected) to the Knicks.

The Bulls, meanwhile, owe the Magic their top-four protected first-round pick. There’s just an 8.5% chance Chicago will hang onto that selection and a 91.5% chance it will fall between Nos. 11-14 and be sent to Orlando.

If the Bulls get lucky and move into the top four, they’d owe Orlando their 2024 first-round pick with top-three protection.

Draft Lottery Representatives:

The representatives for each of this year’s lottery teams are as follows, according to a pair of announcements from the NBA:

  1. Detroit Pistons

    • On stage: Ben Wallace (basketball operations and team engagement advisor)
    • Lottery room: Jon Phelps (senior director of basketball strategy)
  2. Houston Rockets

    • On stage: Ime Udoka (head coach)
    • Lottery room: Clay Allen (general counsel)
  3. San Antonio Spurs

    • On stage: Peter J. Holt (team owner)
    • Lottery room: Brian Wright (general manager)
  4. Charlotte Hornets

    • On stage: Mark Williams
    • Lottery room: Buzz Peterson (general manager / senior VP of basketball operations)
  5. Portland Trail Blazers

    • On stage: Brandon Roy (former Trail Blazers player)
    • Lottery room: Sergi Oliva (assistant GM)
  6. Orlando Magic

    • On stage: Jamahl Mosley (head coach)
    • Lottery room: Joel Glass (chief communications officer)
  7. Indiana Pacers

    • On stage: Tyrese Haliburton
    • Lottery room: Kevin Pritchard (president of basketball operations)
  8. Washington Wizards

    • On stage: Wes Unseld Jr. (head coach)
    • Lottery room: Brett Greenberg (assistant GM / strategy and analytics)
  9. Utah Jazz

  10. Dallas Mavericks

    • On stage: Nico Harrison (president of basketball operations / general manager)
    • Lottery room: Michael Finley (assistant GM / VP of player personnel)
  11. Chicago Bulls

    • On stage: Dalen Terry
    • Lottery room: Pat Connelly (assistant GM)
  12. Oklahoma City Thunder

    • On stage: Nick Collison (former Thunder player / amateur evaluation scout)
    • Lottery room: Sam Presti (executive VP / general manager)
  13. Toronto Raptors

    • On stage: Bobby Webster (general manager)
    • Lottery room: Teresa Resch (VP of basketball operations)
  14. New Orleans Pelicans
    • On stage: David Griffin (executive VP of basketball operations)
    • Lottery room: Bryson Graham (assistant GM)
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