Kings Not Retaining Alvin Gentry As Head Coach
1:06pm: The Kings have officially confirmed that Gentry won’t be back as the team’s head coach.
“The entire Kings organization is grateful for the leadership of Alvin Gentry, who stepped up when he got the call mid-season,” GM Monte McNair said in a statement. “We appreciate his leadership on and off the court.”
Although Gentry is out as head coach, he still may stick with the organization. Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter) that Gentry and the Kings are discussing a possible front office position, with a resolution expected later this week.
12:37pm: The Kings have informed Alvin Gentry that he’s no longer the team’s head coach, according to Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic (Twitter link), who report that Sacramento will immediately launch a “comprehensive” search for a new coach.
Gentry was named the Kings’ interim head coach just 17 games into the 2021/22 season following the ouster of Luke Walton. After starting 6-11 under Walton, the Kings were hopeful that Gentry could lead the team to at least a spot in the play-in tournament. However, Sacramento went just 24-41 the rest of the way and finished in the lottery for a 16th consecutive season.
Gentry, who has previous head coaching experience with the Heat, Pistons, Clippers, Suns, and Pelicans, previously stuck around following interim stints in Detroit and Phoenix to become those teams’ permanent head coaches, but that won’t happen in Sacramento. It appears he’ll be in the market for a new job this spring despite having spoken on Sunday about wanting to remain with the franchise.
“Obviously, I have a desire (to stay),” Gentry said, per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. “I love it here and I think we’re on the right path. We’ve got some good pieces. We’ve got good people from our medical staff all the way up to the top. It has been done here before. It’s not something that’s impossible to do. It’s been done here before, so you just have to wait and see, but all of those things, I don’t make those decisions, so whatever happens, if it doesn’t work out, then I’ve had a great two years here. Love the people here. Love the franchise.”
The Kings, meanwhile, will conduct a wide-ranging search that includes candidates who have previously turned lottery teams into playoff clubs, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Marc Stein previously identified Terry Stotts, Mike D’Antoni, Mike Brown and Steve Clifford as names who have come up in coaching circles as possible targets for Sacramento. Wojnarowski confirms that Clifford and Brown are expected to be considered and adds Kenny Atkinson, Mark Jackson, and Bucks assistants Charles Lee and Darvin Ham to the list of potential candidates.
Rick Adelman was the last coach to take the Kings to the postseason, back in 2006. Since then, Sacramento has employed 11 different head coaches — the new hire will be the 12th.
Lakers Part Ways With Frank Vogel
APRIL 11: The Lakers have informed Vogel he has been relieved of his duties, tweets Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. The team put out a press release formally confirming the move.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Frank both on and off the court,” Pelinka said in a statement. “Frank is a great coach and a good man. We will forever be grateful to him for his work in guiding us to the 2019/20 NBA championship. This is an incredibly difficult decision to make, but one we feel is necessary at this point. All of us here wish Frank and his wonderful family all the best for the future.”
Vogel’s assistants haven’t been let go at this time, tweets ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
APRIL 10: Frank Vogel has coached his final game for the Lakers, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter).
The decision – which has been viewed as a foregone conclusion for weeks, if not months – is expected to be shared with Vogel as soon as Monday, says Wojnarowski. According to Woj, the team’s search for a replacement will be “lengthy and expansive,” with no clear frontrunner at this point.
Asked about the report during his postgame press conference after Sunday’s win over Denver, Vogel confirmed that he hasn’t yet been given the official word on his ouster.
“I haven’t been told s–t and I’m gonna enjoy tonight’s game,” he said, per Bill Oram of The Athletic (Twitter link). “… We’ll deal with tomorrow tomorrow.”
Formerly a head coach in Indiana and Orlando, Vogel was hired by the Lakers in 2019 to replace Luke Walton. Vogel, who appeared to be a fallback option after the club missed out on targets like Monty Williams and Tyronn Lue, only received a three-year contract, but quickly made a strong impression in Los Angeles by leading the Lakers to a title in his first season at the helm.
Vogel’s second and third seasons in L.A. weren’t as successful, as the Lakers dealt with more frequent injury woes. The team went 42-30 in 2020/21 and earned a playoff spot via the play-in tournament, but was dispatched in six games by Phoenix in the first round. This season, the Lakers went just 33-49 and missed out entirely on the play-in tournament.
Vogel received a contract extension prior to the 2021/22 season, but it only tacked one year onto his initial deal with the team, which wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement.
Given Los Angeles’ disappointing performance this season, Vogel has spent much of the year on the hot seat. A report in January indicated that the Lakers came close to firing him at that point, when the team was at .500 (22-22). L.A. posted a disastrous record 11-27 the rest of the way, but ultimately decided to wait until after the regular season to make a change.
One recent report indicated that Jazz coach Quin Snyder and/or Sixers coach Doc Rivers could be candidates for the Lakers’ coaching vacancy if they become available this offseason. Another report mentioned Michigan’s Juwan Howard as a possible target. More names figure to be linked to the position once Vogel is officially let go.
LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and Lakers VP of basketball operations Rob Pelinka are all scheduled to speak to reporters on Monday as part of the Lakers’ exit interviews, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Vogel’s dismissal figures to be a popular topic of conversation during that media session.
Timberwolves Sign Chris Finch To Multiyear Extension
The Timberwolves have signed head coach Chris Finch to a multiyear contract extension, the team announced today in a press release. The assistants on Finch’s staff have also been extended.
Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link) first reported that Finch and his coaching staff were receiving multiyear extensions. According to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link), Finch signed a three-year deal with a fourth-year option.
A former assistant coach in Houston, Denver, New Orleans, and Toronto, Finch took the reins in Minnesota midway through the 2020/21 following Ryan Saunders‘ dismissal. He guided the Timberwolves – who got off to a 7-24 start – to a 16-25 finish last season, then helped take the club to another level in ’21/22.
Minnesota finished this season with a 46-36 record, good for seventh in the Western Conference. It’s the Wolves’ second-best record since 2004 and puts them in position to earn just their second playoff berth since then, assuming they can win a play-in game this week.
“Chris has done a tremendous job creating stability and consistency for this franchise and building a winning mentality,” the Timberwolves said in a statement attributed to their ownership group. “We look forward to supporting him throughout the years while he continues achieving the goals he and his staff have set out for the team.”
The Wolves are in the midst of an ownership transition, with Glen Taylor planning to hand majority control over to Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore in 2023. Finch’s extension – and the statement from team ownership – is a strong signal that he has the full support of Rodriguez and Lore in addition to Taylor.
NBA’s Play-In Field, Top-Six Playoff Seeds Set
The NBA wrapped up its 2021/22 regular season on Sunday, and the teams and seeds for this year’s play-in tournament have been set. Here are the play-in matchups:
Eastern Conference
Tuesday, April 12
- Game 1: Cleveland Cavaliers (8) at Brooklyn Nets (7), 7:00pm ET
- Winner secures No. 7 seed; loser plays on Friday.
Wednesday, April 13
- Game 2: Charlotte Hornets (10) at Atlanta Hawks (9), 7:00pm ET
- Winner plays on Friday; loser is eliminated.
Friday, April 15
- Winner of Game 2 at Loser of Game 1, time TBD
- Winner secures No. 8 seed; loser is eliminated.
Western Conference
Tuesday, April 12
- Game 1: Los Angeles Clippers (8) at Minnesota Timberwolves (7), 9:30pm ET
- Winner secures No. 7 seed; loser plays on Friday.
Wednesday, April 13
- Game 2: San Antonio Spurs (10) at New Orleans Pelicans (9), 9:30pm ET
- Winner plays on Friday; loser is eliminated.
Friday, April 15
- Winner of Game 2 at Loser of Game 1, time TBD
- Winner secures No. 8 seed; loser is eliminated.
Once the Nos. 7 and 8 seeds in each conference are set later this week, the eight first-round matchups will be finalized. Those first-round series will tip off on April 16 and 17.
Here are the top six seeds in each conference, along with the matchups that are locked in so far (and Game 1 info, per the NBA):
Eastern Conference
- Miami Heat (1) vs. No. 8 seed (play-in) ^
- Boston Celtics (2) vs. No. 7 seed (play-in) ^
- Milwaukee Bucks (3) vs. Chicago Bulls (6) ^
- Philadelphia 76ers (4) vs. Toronto Raptors (5) *
* Series begins on April 16.
^ Series begins on April 17.
Western Conference
- Phoenix Suns (1) vs. No. 8 seed (play-in) ^
- Memphis Grizzlies (2) vs. No. 7 seed (play-in) *
- Golden State Warriors (3) vs. Denver Nuggets (6) *
- Dallas Mavericks (4) vs. Utah Jazz (5) *
* Series begins on April 16.
^ Series begins on April 17.
Bam Adebayo Enters Health And Safety Protocols
Heat center Bam Adebayo has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols, the team announced on social media (Twitter link). Adebayo will miss the club’s season-finale against the Magic on Sunday.
The news comes one week after head coach Erik Spoelstra entered the protocols. Spoelstra returned on Friday, guiding Miami to a 113-109 victory over Atlanta. Adebayo finished with a team-high 24 points and six rebounds in the contest.
Assuming Adebayo tested positive, he’ll be out for at least five days or until he returns two straight negative tests at least 24 hours apart. The Heat’s first-round series won’t begin until April 16 or 17, so Adebayo should be cleared by then.
Should Miami be forced to play without Adebayo, backup center Dewayne Dedmon and third-string big man Omer Yurtseven could see more playing time. The team could also go small by playing P.J. Tucker or Markieff Morris at the five.
Adebayo is in his fifth NBA campaign, finishing the regular season averaging a career-high 19.1 points, 10.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. The Heat selected him No. 14 overall in the 2017 draft.
Ben Simmons Could Return During First Round Of Playoffs
Ben Simmons could be back in action this season after all. There’s optimism that Simmons could make his debut during the first round of the playoffs as long as his progression continues in strengthening his legs and back, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
Simmons has been ramping up his workload and is expected to continue doing so, Charania adds.
Of course, there’s a caveat to this update — the Nets have to make it out of the play-in tournament to reach the first round. They’re currently tied for seventh place with Cleveland entering the regular season finale for all teams on Sunday.
Simmons was on the court doing some shooting prior to their game against Indiana on Sunday. During his pregame press conference, coach Steve Nash said Simmons still needed to take a number of steps to suit up from the back injury that has kept him on the sidelines since he was dealt from Philadelphia, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.
“He’s doing a little bit of movement, still 1-on-0 stuff,” Nash said. “He’s still got a lot of milestones to reach, but it’s positive.”
Suns Convert Wainright’s Two-Way Deal Into Standard Contract
2:23pm: The Suns have officially converted Wainright’s contract from a two-way to a standard deal, the team confirmed (via Twitter).
1:28pm: The Suns are converting the two-way contract of rookie forward Ishmail Wainright into a standard deal, making Wainright eligible for the playoffs, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
Wainright has seen action in 44 Suns games this season, averaging 2.1 PGG and 1.2 RPG in 7.4 MPG. The 27-year-old signed his two-way contract in October after being waived by Toronto during training camp.
It’s unlikely that Wainright will see much action in the playoffs, but he might be employed as a defensive specialist in certain situations.
Wainright, who went undrafted out of Baylor in 2017, played for a number of international leagues prior to this season.
Jazz Convert Trent Forrest’s Two-Way Contract To Standard Deal
1:24pm: The transaction is official, according to a team press release.
10:25am: Two-way player Trent Forrest will receive a standard contract from the Jazz, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The move will make him eligible to participate in the playoffs, which two-way players cannot do.
The 23-year-old point guard is in his second season as a two-way player with Utah. He has appeared in 60 games so far in 2021/22, making six starts, and is averaging 3.3 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 12.8 minutes per night.
Undrafted out of Florida State in 2020, Forrest reached a two-way agreement with the Jazz in November of that year and appeared in 30 games as a rookie. He signed another two-way deal before the start of this season’s training camp.
Once the move is official, Utah will have a full 15-man roster heading into the postseason. The Jazz are currently tied for fifth in the West at 48-33 and hold a tiebreaker advantage over the Nuggets.
Gordon Hayward To Miss Play-In Tournament
Hornets forward Gordon Hayward will miss the NBA’s play-in tournament due to a foot injury, the team announced in a press release.
Hayward is out indefinitely because of nagging pain in his left foot. He will be placed in a cast to immobilize his foot and he will be re-evaluated in approximately two weeks.
He missed nearly two months of action due to sprained ligaments in his left ankle before returning last Saturday, April 2. Hayward played 17 minutes but returned to the sidelines this week.
The team’s highest-paid player, Hayward is averaging 15.9 PPG, 4.6 RPG and 3.6 APG in 31.9 MPG in 49 appearances during his second season with the club. He has two seasons and approximately $61.6MM remaining on his contract.
Charlotte entered the final day of the regular season tied for ninth place in the Eastern Conference with a 42-39 record. Assuming they don’t move up in the standings today, the Hornets would have to win two play-in games to earn a playoff spot.
Nets Waive James Johnson, Promote Kessler Edwards
APRIL 10: Edwards’ new contract is now official, the Nets announced (via Twitter). It includes a team option for next season, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
APRIL 7: The Nets have waived forward James Johnson, our JD Shaw tweets, and plan to promote rookie Kessler Edwards to a standard deal so he’s eligible for the postseason, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
Johnson, 35, is a 13-year NBA veteran who’s appeared in a total of 747 regular season games. In 62 games (10 starts) with the Nets this season, he averaged 5.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists on .469/.271/.527 shooting in 19.2 minutes per night.
Edwards, 21, was the 44th overall pick of the 2021 draft after three seasons with Pepperdine. He’s been on a two-way contract this season, and clearly the Nets like what they’ve seen from the young forward, because they want him to keep contributing for a potential playoff run.
Through 46 games (22 starts) this season, Edwards is averaging 5.8 points and 3.5 rebounds on .412/.359/.824 shooting in 20.1 minutes. He took advantage of his opportunity over the winter months when the team was ravaged by players in the health and safety protocols, as he’d rarely seen action to that point.
Edwards is known as a strong, versatile defender and is a better spot-up shooter than Johnson, as evidenced by their respective three-point percentages. Because Johnson was waived so late in the season, he will not be eligible to play in the postseason with another team.