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Knicks Dismiss Tom Thibodeau

June 3rd, 2025 at 2:03pm CST by Luke Adams

2:03 pm: The Knicks have formally confirmed in a press release that they’ve relieved Thibodeau of his duties.

“Our organization is singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans. This pursuit led us to the difficult decision to inform Tom Thibodeau that we’ve decided to move in another direction,” Rose said in a statement. “We can’t thank Tom enough for pouring his heart and soul into each and every day of being the New York Knicks head coach. He led us not only with class and professionalism for the past five seasons, but also to tremendous success on the court with four playoff berths and four playoff series victories.

“Ultimately, we made the decision we feel is best for our organization moving forward. Tom will always be a part of our Knicks family and we truly wish him nothing but the best in the future.”

1:41 pm: The Knicks are parting ways with head coach Tom Thibodeau, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

The timing of the move is surprising, given that New York just had its best season in a quarter-century, coming within two wins of appearing in the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. While there were rumblings earlier in the year that Thibodeau would be on the hot seat if the Knicks made an early playoff exit, that chatter had quieted down following playoff series wins over the Pistons and Celtics.

Steve Popper of Newsday (Twitter link) says he heard from a source that Thibodeau believed he’d need to win that second-round series against Boston to keep his job. However, even that upset win proved not to be enough. The organization – which is “singularly focused” on winning a championship – believes a new voice on the sidelines can help the team take its next step toward a title, Charania explains (via Twitter).

According to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link), the decision to fire Thibodeau was made by president of basketball operations Leon Rose, with the support of ownership.

Thibodeau, who coached the Bulls from 2010-15 and the Timberwolves from 2017-19, was hired by the Knicks ahead of the 2020/21 season. He posted a 226-174 (.565) regular season record across his five years with the franchise, leading the Knicks to four playoff appearances and four series wins, with an overall record of 24-23 (.511) in the postseason. He was named the NBA’s Coach of the Year in 2021.

Thibodeau has received criticism over the years for his tendency to lean very heavily on his starters and not make much use of his bench. However, his players have typically been vocal in their support for him. Following the team’s elimination from the postseason over the weekend, Jalen Brunson bristled at speculation about his head coach’s future, responding, “Is that a real question right now? You just asked me if I believe he’s the right guy. Yes. Come on.”

The Knicks will still owe Thibodeau at least $30MM in guaranteed money, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link). He had signed a three-year extension last summer that was set to go into effect in 2025/26.

New York will be just the second NBA team to launch a head coaching search this spring, joining the Suns. Phoenix has reportedly narrowed its search to a pair of Cavaliers assistants, Johnnie Bryant and Jordan Ott.

Wolves’ Tim Connelly On Minnesota: ‘It Feels Like Home’

June 2nd, 2025 at 2:44pm CST by Rory Maher

Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly reportedly has an opt-out clause in his contract this offseason, but it sounds like he intends to stay in Minnesota.

“It feels like home. … I think you guys are stuck with me,” Connelly told media members today, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The news doesn’t come as a surprise. Multiple reporters — including Brian Windhorst, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, Michael Scotto, and Krawczynski — have indicated that signing Connelly to a new contract was a priority and the team was optimistic an agreement would be reached. Connelly is said to have a good working relationship with new majority owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, who are expected to be approved by the league’s Board of Governors later this month.

Connelly was rumored to be a top target of the Hawks in their search for a new head of basketball operations and was also linked to the Nuggets’ vacancy. Connelly ran Denver’s front office from 2013-22, putting its championship core together, though he technically missed out on that title by leaving a year early.

The 49-year-old has pulled off some blockbuster trades since he was hired by the Timberwolves in 2022, acquiring Rudy Gobert from Utah later that year and sending Karl-Anthony Towns to New York last October in exchange for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Keita Bates-Diop (who was later waived) and a first-round pick.

The Wolves have made the playoffs each of the past three seasons with Connelly as the head of basketball operations, including — most recently — back-to-back trips to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history.

Here are a few more highlights from Connelly’s press conference:

Randle, Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker could all be free agents this summer — Randle and Reid hold players options for 2025/26, while Alexander-Walker is unrestricted. Connelly says the team is “cautiously optimistic” it will be able to bring back all three rotation players, as Krawczynski relays (via Twitter). “We’re very appreciative of what the market might look like,” Connelly said. “We’re pretty cautiously optimistic we’re in a good place with all of the guys. Most importantly, they want to be here.”
Connelly praised head coach Chris Finch for the “great” job he has done over the past couple years, tweets Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. “It’s not easy what we’ve tasked him with the last couple of years (multiple major trades),” Connelly said. “… It’s a testament to his intelligence, his ability to be creative and to coach any group we put in front of him.”
Connelly was also complimentary of Finch’s coaching staff for its adaptability and player development skills, according to Krawczynski (Twitter link). “Someone is going to smartly hire (assistant) Micah Nori as a head coach soon.”
Connelly thinks Anthony Edwards will have a “challenging” offseason in front of him as the Wolves attempt to take the next step, but he’s confident in the star guard’s two-way ability (Twitter video link via Scotto) “The sky is the limit,” Connelly said of Edwards. “We think he’s going to be one of the best players of all time, and we think he’s on that track.”

Jordan Ott, Johnnie Bryant Finalists For Suns’ Head Coaching Job

June 2nd, 2025 at 11:14am CST by Luke Adams

11:14 am: While Ott is a finalist for the Suns’ head coaching vacancy, Shams Charania of ESPN confirms, it’s Bryant – not Quinn – who joins him in that final group. According to Charania, the two Cavaliers assistants will meet in person with Ishbia, Gregory, and Suns CEO Josh Bartelstein in Michigan.

Bryant, who was hired last offseason as the Cavaliers’ associate head coach, previously worked for the Jazz (2014-20) and Knicks (2020-24) as an assistant.

John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link) reports that the Suns are expected to make their decision by the end of the week.

8:50 am: After reporting over the weekend that the Suns are expected to advance two or three finalists to the last round of their head coaching search to meet with team owner Mat Ishbia, NBA insider Marc Stein (Substack link) says Heat assistant Chris Quinn and Cavaliers assistant Jordan Ott have been “repeatedly forecasted in league coaching circles” to reach that final stage of the search process.

Quinn, a former NBA player, worked as an assistant for Northwestern in 2013/14 before joining Miami’s coaching staff under Erik Spoelstra in 2014. He has since emerged as Spoelstra’s top lieutenant, having spent more than a decade on the Heat’s bench and served as the club’s acting head coach when Spoelstra has had to miss games.

Ott was part of coaching staffs with the Hawks, Nets, and Lakers before reuniting with Kenny Atkinson in Cleveland a year ago. Ott, who previously worked under Atkinson in Brooklyn and attended Michigan State like Ishbia, was reportedly a finalist last spring for the head coaching job in Charlotte that ultimately went to Charles Lee.

Quinn and Ott are among four candidates confirmed to have interviewed with Suns general manager Brian Gregory, along with Cleveland assistant Johnnie Bryant and Dallas assistant Sean Sweeney.

According to Stein, the expectation was that Gregory would meet with Thunder assistant Dave Bliss in Oklahoma City over the weekend. Stein doesn’t confirm that the meeting took place as planned, but notes that Bliss wasn’t expected to fly out to meet the Suns while his team was preparing for the NBA Finals.

Marc J. Spears of Andscape and NBA insider Chris Haynes (Threads link) have both stated that Suns assistant and former NBA head coach David Fizdale was also still in the mix for Phoenix’s coaching vacancy entering the team’s third round of interviews. The club initially identified between 15 and 20 candidates for the job before advancing nine of those candidates to the second round of the process.

Mutual Interest Between Raptors, Giannis Antetokounmpo?

June 2nd, 2025 at 10:42am CST by Luke Adams

“Mutual interest” exists between the Raptors and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, veteran beat writer Doug Smith writes in his latest mailbag for The Toronto Star.

Antetokounmpo is reportedly mulling his future in Milwaukee and is expected to let the Bucks know at some point soon whether he remains committed to the team or would prefer to seek a change of scenery. While Shams Charania of ESPN reported a few weeks ago that Antetokounmpo is more “open-minded” than in the past about taking the latter route, there has been no indication to this point that he’s looking to leave the Bucks.

It’s no surprise that the Raptors would have interest in Antetokounmpo if the Bucks were to entertain the idea of trading him. Toronto’s president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri has long coveted the two-time MVP, having reportedly made efforts to trade into the 2013 draft to select him, and the Raptors are said to be viewed by rival teams as a candidate to pursue a major move this summer.

Antetokounmpo’s potential interest in the Raptors would be more notable. The star forward has always spoken highly of Ujiri, who helped Giannis gain Greek citizenship when his family moved from Lagos, Nigeria to Athens, per Smith. There has also been speculation that if Antetokounmpo were to seek a trade, he might prefer to remain in the Eastern Conference, where the path to the NBA Finals in the coming years looks far less crowded. But again, that’s just speculation.

With no indication yet that Antetokounmpo will request a trade and the Raptors certain to face a ton of competition if he does, the odds are against the 30-year-old ending up in Toronto, Smith acknowledges.

Still, he views Toronto as a trade partner that would make some sense for the Bucks, given that the Raptors control all their own future first-round picks and have a variety of sizable contracts that could be considered for inclusion in a trade package for matching purposes. They also have enough wing depth that they could give up a strong combination of young players and veterans without becoming shorthanded at the position, Smith adds.

Jazz Hire Celtics’ Austin Ainge As President Of Basketball Ops

June 2nd, 2025 at 9:12am CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz have hired veteran Celtics executive Austin Ainge as their president of basketball operations, the team announced today in a press release. Tim Bontemps and Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link) first reported the news.

Ainge has spent 17 years with the Celtics, including the last 14 in the front office. He was initially hired as a scout, then spent a couple seasons coaching Boston’s G League affiliate in Maine from 2009-11 before transitioning to a front office position. He served as the club’s director of player personnel and scouting until 2019 and has been an assistant general manager for the past six years.

Ainge has played a significant role in the Celtics’ scouting and pre-draft process over the past decade-plus. The Jazz’s announcement today notes that he “helped to identify” the draft selections of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to welcome Austin Ainge as our new president of basketball operations,” Jazz owner and governor Ryan Smith said in a statement. “Austin is one of the brightest minds in the NBA—his 17 years with the Celtics have given him incredible insight into every part of an organization. I’ve known Austin for 15 years, and I’ve watched him grow into an accomplished, innovative, and strategic basketball executive who’s ready to lead this organization.”

Obviously, beyond his relationship with Smith, Ainge has a strong connection to the front office in Utah, where his father Danny Ainge has been the franchise’s CEO and alternate governor since 2021. The elder Ainge and general manager Justin Zanik have collaborated on roster decisions in recent years, with Zanik focused on day-to-day operations in his GM role.

A president of basketball operations title suggests that Austin will be above Zanik and below his father in Utah’s front office hierarchy. The Jazz’s press release implies they’re simply adding the newest hire to the current group rather than the move being part of a larger restructuring of the front office.

“Austin is experienced, forward-thinking, and laser-focused on building a championship-caliber program,” Smith said. “He has been instrumental in every aspect of building great teams – from scouting the best players to constructing a winning roster.

“In this new role leading the Jazz front office, Austin’s ability to identify great talent, scout, and partner with Danny, Justin, and (head coach) Will (Hardy) and the rest of the front office team will be key. Hiring Austin couldn’t be coming at a better time as we build up as an organization towards our ultimate goal of championship-level basketball.”

Pacers’ Carlisle: Walker To Miss Multiple Games With Ankle Injury

June 2nd, 2025 at 7:33am CST by Luke Adams

Pacers forward Jarace Walker is expected to miss at least the first two games of the NBA Finals and possibly more than that, head coach Rick Carlisle said during a Monday morning appearance on 107.5 The Fan in Indiana (YouTube link; hat tip to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star).

Walker sustained a right ankle injury – diagnosed as a sprain – during Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday and was using crutches in the locker room after the game.

“He’s going to be out for a while,” Carlisle said today. “I don’t know how long. He certainly will not play in the first two games of the Finals. He was still on crutches (on Sunday). I’m certain he’ll be listed as out for those two initial games.”

The Pacers’ head coach went on to point out that the Finals are “stretched out over a pretty significant period of time,” which could give the second-year forward a chance to recover before the series is over, though Carlisle would offer no guarantees.

The No. 8 overall pick in the 2023 draft, Walker was in and out of Indiana’s rotation this season, averaging 6.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 15.9 minutes per game across 75 outings (five starts).

Walker’s role has remained inconsistent in the playoffs — he appeared in all five first-round games against Milwaukee and logged double-digit minutes in four of them, but averaged just 6.0 MPG in round two vs. Cleveland and didn’t see any action in the first four games of the conference finals against New York. The 21-year-old had six points in 13 minutes in Game 5 and played seven minutes in Game 6 before injuring his ankle.

While Walker’s absence likely won’t have a major impact on Carlisle’s rotation decisions, the Pacers’ coach has shown a tendency to dig deep on his bench if necessary, turning to third-string center Tony Bradley repeatedly during the conference finals. He’ll have one fewer option available to him while Walker recovers.

Pascal Siakam Named Eastern Conference Finals MVP

May 31st, 2025 at 10:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

Pacers forward Pascal Siakam was named MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals as Indiana closed out New York in Game 6 Saturday night. Siakam prevailed in a close race, topping teammate Tyrese Haliburton by a 5-4 margin in voting by a panel of media members (Twitter link).

Both players were outstanding in leading Indiana to its first NBA Finals appearance in 25 years. Siakam averaged 24.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists throughout the series and delivered 31 points in Saturday’s closeout game.

Haliburton posted 21.o points, 6.0 rebounds and 10.5 assists per game during the series and finished Game 6 with 21 points and 13 assists.

“First of all, shoutout Indy, man,” Siakam said during the trophy presentation (YouTube video link). “It’s been such an amazing experience for me so far from the first day I landed here, like the love’s been amazing. (General manager Chad Buchanan), (president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard), just unbelievable, man. First-class organization, I’m just so happy to be here. And tonight, after a bad Game 5, we wanted to bounce back. I have 100% belief in my teammates. Whenever we’re down, we always find a way, and we did that tonight.”

The Eastern Conference Finals MVP trophy, which is named in honor of Larry Bird, was introduced three years ago. It was won by Boston’s Jayson Tatum in 2022, Miami’s Jimmy Butler in 2023 and Boston’s Jaylen Brown in 2024.

The Pacers will continue their pursuit of their first NBA title when the Finals begin Thursday night in Oklahoma City. The complete Finals schedule can be found here.

Magic Viewed As Possible Suitor For Nickeil Alexander-Walker

May 31st, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

There are “rumbles in circulation” that the Magic are a team to watch as a suitor for free agent guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker this offseason, reports Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).

Alexander-Walker, who was traded from Utah to Minnesota at the 2023 deadline as part of a bigger three-team deal, has emerged as a reliable rotation player for the Timberwolves over the past two seasons.

Since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, the 26-year-old has averaged 8.7 points, 2.6 assists, and 2.6 rebounds in 24.4 minutes per game, with a .438/.386/.787 shooting line. He has also served as one of Minnesota’s top point-of-attack defenders and has been extremely durable, having not missed a game in over two years.

While the Timberwolves would certainly like to have Alexander-Walker back on the roster next season, they may face a financial squeeze after operating above the second tax apron this year, which could open the door for rival suitors to make a run at him.

The six-year veteran is coming off a $4.3MM salary and has never earned more than $5MM in a season, but appears to be in line for a significant raise. Several teams with the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($14.1MM) figure to have interest, and Jake Fischer reported in February that some executives believe Alexander-Walker could earn up to $20MM per year on his next contract.

Whether the Magic will be in position to make an aggressive offer to Alexander-Walker remains to be seen. They have roughly $175MM in guaranteed money committed to 11 players for next season and the luxury tax line projects to come in just under $188MM, so if they want to make a play for the Wolves guard while staying out of the tax, they’d probably have to shed some salary.

Orlando has long been viewed as a team likely to seek backcourt help this summer, though much of that speculation has centered around the Magic targeting more of an offensive-minded player to complement defensive ace Jalen Suggs. While Alexander-Walker doesn’t really fit that bill, he has been a more reliable three-point shooter than Suggs in recent years.

Pistons Have Interest In Naz Reid, Myles Turner

May 31st, 2025 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons are “known to covet” a big man who can space the floor, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line, who reports in his latest Substack article (subscription required) that the team is said to have interest in both Naz Reid and Myles Turner.

Reid followed up his Sixth Man of the Year campaign in 2023/24 with another strong season for the Timberwolves in ’24/25, averaging 14.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 27.5 minutes per game across 80 outings (17 starts). He has made 39.5% of 5.4 three-point attempts per game over the past two seasons.

Turner, who was drafted 11th overall by the Pacers in 2015 and has been the team’s starting center for the last decade, averaged 15.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks in 30.2 minutes per contest across 72 games this season. The 29-year-old knocked down a career-high 39.6% of 5.5 three-pointers per night and has played a key role in getting the Pacers within one game of an NBA Finals appearance.

It remains to be seen whether the Pistons have a viable chance to land either player, Stein acknowledges.

Reid holds a $15MM player option for next season and the Timberwolves have made it known they’d have strong interest in working out a new deal with him if he declines that option, Stein writes.

As for Turner, multiple reports have indicated that Indiana is well positioned to re-sign the longtime Pacer in unrestricted free agency this summer, and Stein confirms that the team has conveyed a willingness to go into the tax next season to keep its roster together.

As we detailed earlier this week, the Pistons could potentially create nearly $17MM in cap room without making any cost-cutting moves, but it would mean renouncing their rights to key free agents like Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Dennis Schröder. If the club operates over the cap, it could offer the full mid-level exception, worth a projected $14.1MM, to a free agent, but wouldn’t be able to exceed that figure without a sign-and-trade.

Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart, and Paul Reed handled big-man duties for Detroit in 2024/25. While that trio was effective, none of the three is a threat from beyond the arc — they made a combined 25 three-pointers on the season, with Duren not attempting a single one.

Zion Williamson Denies Allegations Of Rape, Abuse

May 30th, 2025 at 1:34pm CST by Luke Adams

1:34 pm: Williamson’s legal representatives have issued a statement “unequivocally” denying the allegations made in the lawsuit, according to Front Office Sports (Twitter link).

“We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and we unequivocally deny them,” the statement reads. “The allegations contained in the complaint are categorically false and reckless. This is the plaintiff’s third set of attorneys. This appears to be an attempt to exploit a professional athlete driven by a financial motive rather than any legitimate grievance.

“Mr. Williamson and the plaintiff never dated, but did maintain a consensual, casual relationship that began more than six years ago, when he was 18 years old. That relationship ended years ago. At no point during or immediately after that relationship did the plaintiff raise any concerns. Only after the friendship ended did she begin demanding millions of dollars.

“Mr. Williamson reported the plaintiff’s extortion attempts to law enforcement. We understand that an arrest warrant was issued in connection with that report, and we are prepared to provide the court with documentation that supports these facts. Mr. Williamson also intends to file counterclaims and seek significant damages for this defamatory lawsuit.

“While these allegations are false, we recognize the seriousness of the claims and welcome the opportunity to prove the truth in court. We are confident that the legal process will expose the truth and fully vindicate Mr. Williamson.”

12:41 pm: A woman who says she dated Zion Williamson between 2018 and 2023 has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles accusing the Pelicans forward of rape and “physical, emotional, and financial” abuse, according to reports from TMZ and Margaret Fleming of Front Office Sports, who obtained copies of the suit.

As TMZ details, the lawsuit alleges that Williamson raped and assaulted the woman – identified only as Jane Doe from Seattle – in September 23, 2020 in Southern California and again on October 10, 2020.

“These two incidents were not isolated,” according to the lawsuit, which states that Williamson “continued to abuse, rape, assault, and batter Plaintiff in California and other states, including Louisiana and Texas, until the relationship ended in 2023.”

Williamson’s accuser alleges that he strangled her multiple times and pointed a loaded gun at her, causing her to “reasonably fear for her life,” per TMZ. She also claims that Williamson threatened to have his security guard shoot her in the head and kill her parents, and that he entered her apartment unannounced to steal her belongings and abuse her.

The lawsuit, which includes several other allegations, states that Williamson was “either drunk or on cocaine” when many of the incidents occurred.

There are nine causes of action laid out in the suit, according to Fleming: assault, battery, sexual battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, domestic violence, stalking, burglary, false imprisonment, and conversion. Williamson’s accuser is seeking unspecified damages.

“We don’t want to litigate this case in the media,” Doe’s attorney Sam E. Taylor told TMZ. “But I will say this is a very serious case as reflected in the pleadings that have been filed and our client looks forward to her day in court to seek justice in this matter.”

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft, Williamson has battled injuries during his six seasons in the NBA, but has consistently performed at an All-Star level when healthy, averaging 24.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in 31.4 minutes per contest across 214 career regular season games.

Williamson is owed approximately $126.5MM across the next three seasons, though that money isn’t currently fully guaranteed. A recent report indicated that an offseason trade involving the 24-year-old was considered “very unlikely.”

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