Kings To Host 2023 California Classic Summer League
After ceding hosting duties to the Warriors in 2022, the Kings will once again host the California Classic Summer League this July, announcing today in a press release that the event will take place on Monday, July 3 and Wednesday, July 5.
The California Classic, which is held days before the league-wide Las Vegas Summer League, was launched by the Kings in 2018, and took place again in Sacramento in 2019 and 2021 before shifting to San Francisco in 2022.
In each of those four years, the Kings, Warriors, Lakers, and Heat were the only four teams to participate, but the event will expand to six teams this summer, and the two new additions are noteworthy: the Spurs and Hornets will also take part and are scheduled to face each other on July 3.
Given that San Antonio and Charlotte hold the top two picks in this year’s draft, we could see Victor Wembanyama and either Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller make their Summer League debuts in Sacramento, though it’s entirely possible Wembanyama won’t end up playing at all in July, as John Hollinger of The Athletic tweets.
Each team will play two games — one on the Monday and one on the Wednesday. The California Classic will essentially serve as an opening act for the Vegas Summer League, which will run from July 7-17 and will feature all 30 NBA teams.
G League Ignite Signs Matas Buzelis, Gets Commitment From Ron Holland
Matas Buzelis, an 18-year-old guard/forward, has officially signed with the G League Ignite, according to a press release. The move had long been expected, with Buzelis’ plan first reported last August.
A consensus five-star recruit, Buzelis was named the MVP of this February’s Basketball Without Borders Global Camp and competed in the McDonald’s All-American Game in March.
He’s currently considered the top player in the NBA’s 2024 draft class by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, who had the Lithuanian-American prospect coming off the board first overall in a ’24 mock draft earlier this year.
The Ignite has also secured a commitment from another potential 2024 lottery pick, according to Jeff Borzello and Paul Biancardi of ESPN, who report that 6’8″ forward Ron Holland will play for the G League club next season.
Holland initially committed to Texas, but decommitted in late April and was recently released from his letter of intent. He also reportedly considered Arkansas before deciding to forgo the college route and play in the NBAGL. Holland admitted to ESPN that the process “was not easy,” but said he’s confident that the Ignite will help him reach his potential and prepare him for the NBA.
“To have a long career, I need to prepare my body and improve my skills as I continue to try to win games,” Holland said. “They have a program to help develop my body and my game. I know I have to work on being a more consistent shooter, along with my footwork and ball handling, so I can score in space on the perimeter against a set defender.”
Holland was the No. 6 pick in ESPN’s aforementioned 2024 mock draft.
Buzelis and Holland will join Thierry Darlan, Dink Pate, London Johnson, and Babacar Sane on the Ignite’s 2023/24 roster. According to Givony (Twitter link), the team would be willing to add one more young NBA prospect to that group.
Bulls, Nikola Vucevic Discussing Extension
The Bulls have opened up contract extension negotiations with center Nikola Vucevic, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports that the two sides have mutual interest in working out a new deal.
Vucevic is headed for unrestricted free agency in a month, but remains eligible to sign an extension with the Bulls between now and June 30, before he officially reaches the open market.
Certain extension-eligible players who are on track for free agency, such as Jerami Grant and Fred VanVleet, are unlikely to reach deals with their respective teams by June 30 because the current limits on veteran extensions – including a starting salary worth up to 120% of the player’s previous salary – don’t allow for the sort of contracts they may receive in free agency.
That’s probably not the case for Vucevic though. If he were to sign a veteran extension, he could receive a starting salary worth up to $26.4MM on a deal that covers as many as four years. The 32-year-old seems unlikely to exceed either of those figures in free agency, so it makes sense that he and the Bulls will see if they can come to terms in the coming weeks.
A two-time All-Star, Vucevic has seen his production dip a little since being traded from Orlando to Chicago in 2021, but put up solid numbers in 2022/23. Starting all 82 games for the Bulls, he registered 17.6 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per contest, matching his exact averages from ’21/22. He scored more efficiently this past season than he did a year ago, bumping his shooting line to .520/.349/.835.
It would be difficult for the Bulls to open up meaningful cap room to replace Vucevic in free agency if he were to leave outright, so it’s no surprise that the team is exploring whether it will be possible to retain the big man at a reasonable price. If the two sides don’t reach an agreement by June 30, Vucevic will be one of the top available centers on the free agent market.
Warriors’ Lacob Not Ready To Name Myers’ Successor
Appearing on Tuesday at the press conference announcing Bob Myers‘ departure from the Warriors, team owner Joe Lacob told reporters that he wasn’t ready to announce a successor for the team’s longtime head of basketball operations, as Kendra Andrews of ESPN.com relays.
“We’ll make a decision as soon as we can, but I want to make sure that we make the right decision, and if it happens in a week, great. If it happens in a month, great,” Lacob said. “We’ll make that decision through the natural course, have the right process. I think we are preparing for the draft and free agency and all those things regardless, and we’ll be ready.”
Myers’ contract with the Warriors runs through June 30 and he’s expected to remain around the team for the next month to fulfill the rest of his deal. However, Myers said on Tuesday that he’ll be operating in a support role, so it remains unclear who will be taking the lead on draft night (June 22) and at the start of free agency (June 30).
Multiple reports leading up to Myers’ announcement on Tuesday indicated that the Warriors’ next top basketball executive would probably be promoted from within — VP of basketball operations Mike Dunleavy Jr. was frequently cited as the most likely candidate. Lacob didn’t confirm or deny that plan on Tuesday, though he did express confidence in the group that Myers will leave behind.
“I will say that we do have a very strong organization, and there’s a good possibility it could be an internal candidate,” Lacob said, per Andrews. “But haven’t made a decision, so can’t really give you an answer. We are going to work on that.”
In one obliquely worded section of her report, Andrews cites sources who say that “power struggles” within the Warriors, including between ownership and the front office, may limit Golden State’s ability to bring in a big-name executive from outside the organization, making an in-house promotion more likely.
The team could become more of a “family business” in the coming years, Andrews writes, perhaps alluding to the fact that Lacob is reportedly interested in having his son Kirk Lacob – the Warriors’ executive VP of basketball operations – take on a more prominent role in the front office.
Whoever emerges as the Warriors’ next head of basketball operations will assume a role that Myers says requires “complete engagement,” something he felt he could no longer give. Joe Lacob’s expectations in the post-Myers era will remain high, even as the NBA introduces a Collective Bargaining Agreement that will impose more restrictions on the teams with the highest payrolls.
“We are going to win no matter what. I don’t care what the rules are,” Lacob said. “We are going to figure out a way to do it. That’s what good organizations do.”
GM Scott Perry To Depart Knicks’ Organization
Knicks general manager Scott Perry will leave the organization once his contract expires this summer, Steve Popper of Newsday reports.
Perry joined New York’s front office in 2017. Current president of basketball operations Leon Rose, who was hired in 2020, gave him a contract extension two years ago.
However, Perry’s influence in the front office has waned as executive VP William Wesley and senior basketball consultant Gerrson Rosas have taken a bigger role in personnel moves.
Perry was instrumental in drafting RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson and signing Julius Randle as a free agent.
Perry has been a front office mainstay in the league since 2000, when he was hired by the Pistons. He was also an executive with Seattle in its last season before the franchise moved and had stints with Orlando and Sacramento. Before he was hired by the Knicks, Perry was part of the Kings group that drafted De’Aaron Fox.
Bob Myers To Step Down From Position With Warriors
4:54pm: The Warriors have formally announced in a press release that Myers will step down at the conclusion of his contract.
11:27pm: Warriors president of basketball operations and general manager Bob Myers has decided to step down from his position with the franchise, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
“It’s just time,” Myers told Wojnarowski.
Myers’ contract with the Warriors is set to expire in June and there had been uncertainty in recent months about whether or not he would reach an agreement to remain with the team. According to Wojnarowski, Myers turned down multiple offers from Warriors ownership that would have made him one of the NBA’s highest-paid executives.
Myers, who told Woj that several factors besides money went into his decision and that he’s unsure about his next move, is scheduled to speak to reporters at 3:00 pm CT for his end-of-season press conference. He’ll presumably go into more detail at that time about his decision to give up his front office position in Golden State, but previous reports have indicated he may step away from the NBA to spend more time with family.
A player agent before he transitioned to the team side of the business, Myers joined the Warriors as an assistant general manager in 2011. He was promoted to GM in 2012 and president of basketball operations in 2016, overseeing the most successful run in franchise history.
Although Stephen Curry was drafted before he arrived in Golden State, Myers was largely responsible for building the rosters that won titles in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022. He was named the NBA’s Executive Year in both ’15 and ’17.
As Wojnarowski notes, Myers built strong relationships with Warriors franchise cornerstones Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green over the years, so his departure will add more uncertainty to an offseason that was already expected to be an eventful one in Golden State.
Thompson is extension-eligible as he enters a contract year, while Green still has to make a decision on a 2023/24 player option. Jordan Poole‘s lucrative new extension will also go into effect in July as more punitive penalties loom for the NBA’s biggest spenders in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Warriors VP of basketball operations Mike Dunleavy Jr. has been repeatedly mentioned as a possible successor for Myers. According to Wojnarowski, team owner Joe Lacob is also expected to seek a more prominent role for his son Kirk Lacob, who is the club’s executive VP of basketball operations.
Suns Down To Three Head Coaching Finalists
The Suns have narrowed their head coaching search to three finalists, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7, who reports that Doc Rivers, Frank Vogel, and Kevin Young are still in contention.
Reporting a week ago indicated that Phoenix was advancing to the final stage of its process with five candidates still in play. Since then, one of those candidates – Nick Nurse – has reportedly accepted another job, having agreed to coach the Sixers.
Based on Gambadoro’s reporting, it appears the fifth candidate, Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez, is no longer receiving consideration from the Suns. Fernandez is still believed to be in the running for the Raptors’ head coaching vacancy, but Phoenix will apparently decide between Rivers, Vogel, and Young.
An assistant coach on Monty Williams‘ staff since 2020, Young reportedly has some support within the organization to receive a promotion to replace Williams, including an endorsement from star guard Devin Booker. However, he’s the only one of Phoenix’s three remaining finalists without any previous head coaching experience.
Rivers has won a total of 1,860 regular season games and 111 playoff contests with four NBA franchises since 1999, while Vogel has coached three teams since 2010, compiling 820 regular season victories and 49 more in the postseason.
According to Gambadoro, the Suns could finalize a head coaching hire later this week.
Tyler Herro Targeting Game 3 Return
Heat guard Tyler Herro is ramping up his workouts and is aiming to return to action during the NBA Finals, according to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT, who tweets that Game 3 on June 7 is the likely target date.
Herro’s season appeared to be over when he broke his hand during Game 1 of the first-round series against Milwaukee. He underwent hand surgery on April 21 and was expected to miss a minimum of six weeks.
Miami’s stunning run to the Finals as an eighth seed has provided Herro with an opportunity to contribute in the Finals. Game 3 is slated for Wednesday, June 7.
However, Herro indicated after Miami’s Game 7 triumph in Boston on Monday that he’s still experiencing post-surgical pain in his right hand, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel tweets. While Herro believes he’ll return in the Finals, a Game 3 comeback is no lock.
Herro was the team’s third-leading scorer during the regular season at 20.1 points per game. He also averaged 5.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 34.9 minutes per game. He’s a career 38.3% 3-point shooter and 87.5% free throw shooter.
If Herro can return to action, coach Erik Spoelstra will have the pleasant dilemma of how to work him into a rotation that has proved so successful during the postseason.
Jimmy Butler Named Eastern Conference Finals MVP
Jimmy Butler has been named the Most Valuable Player of the Eastern Conference Finals, according to the NBA (via Twitter).
The Heat stymied the Celtics’ bid to become the first NBA team to win a best-of-seven series after trailing 3-0. Butler had 28 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals as Miami thumped Boston on the Celtics’ home court by a score of 103-84.
For the series, Butler averaged 24.7 points, 7.6 rebounds and 6.1 assists as the eighth-seeded Heat continued their improbable postseason run. The only other No. 8 seed to reach the Finals was the 1999 Knicks. This year’s Finals will begin at Denver on Thursday.
Caleb Martin certainly made a strong case for Eastern Conference MVP with his 26-point, 10-rebound performance in Game 7. Martin averaged 19.3 points and 6.4 rebounds while making 48.9% of his 3-point attempts over the course of the series. Butler edged out Martin 5-4 in the voting by the media panel (Twitter link).
Ricky Rubio Hopes To Play In Europe Again
Ricky Rubio has at least one more season left on his contract with the Cavaliers, and he’s thinking about finishing his career in Spain once his NBA commitment is complete, writes Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.
“I am starting to consider my return,” Rubio said in an appearance Sunday on the La Sotana podcast. “Going home. To Barcelona. Close to home.”
The 32-year-old guard is under contract for $6.1MM next season, but he has only a $4.25MM guarantee on his $6.4MM salary for 2024/25. Cleveland will have to terminate the contract by June of 2024 if the team decides not to pay him the full amount.
Rubio had a limited role for the Cavs this season after his year-long rehab following an ACL tear. He wasn’t able to play until January and then appeared in 33 games, averaging 5.2 points, 2.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 17.2 minutes per night.
Rubio was a star in Europe for six years before coming to the NBA. He helped Barcelona capture the EuroLeague championship in 2010 and the Liga ACB title in 2011.
He has played 12 years in the NBA with the Timberwolves, Jazz, Suns and Cavaliers.