Kawhi Leonard Ruled Out For Game 5
JUNE 27: Leonard has officially been ruled out for Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, Mark Medina of USA Today tweets. Leonard will remain in Los Angeles to continue his knee rehabilitation.
JUNE 26: Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard hasn’t played yet in the Western Conference finals and it doesn’t appear he’ll return for Game 5 on Monday. Sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports that it’s “highly unlikely” Leonard will make the trip to Phoenix (video link).
Leonard is recovering from a right knee injury that he suffered June 14 against Utah. He didn’t accompany the Clippers for the opening two games of the series with the Suns, and there are concerns that air travel would be harmful to the knee, according to Haynes.
Speaking to reporters today, coach Tyronn Lue said that Leonard, who has been ruled out of tonight’s Game 4, continues to offer advice to his teammates and has been “a lot more vocal” since the injury, tweets Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.
The news is better for Clippers teammate Marcus Morris, who has been cleared to play tonight, Youngmisuk adds (via Twitter). Morris, who is also dealing with a knee issue, was a game-time decision on Thursday.
Penny Hardaway Emerges As Serious Candidate For Magic Job
The Magic interviewed University of Memphis coach Penny Hardaway for their head coaching position, with Hardaway now emerging as a serious candidate for the job, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Hardaway, who played six seasons with Orlando from 1993-99, has coached at the University of Memphis for the past three years. He’s considered to be one of the top guards in Magic history, making the All-Star team four times during his tenure with the franchise.
The Magic and coach Steve Clifford parted ways earlier this month after finishing the season 21-51 — that was the third-worst record in the league. The team has missed the playoffs in seven of its last 10 seasons and is currently in a rebuilding phase.
Along with Hardaway, Orlando has requested to interview Suns assistant Willie Green and Bucks assistant Charles Lee, according to The Athletic’s Josh Robbins.
The team has already interviewed Spurs assistant Becky Hammon and is expected to interview current assistants Tyrone Corbin, Pat Delany and Steve Hetzel, along with Nuggets assistant Wes Unseld Jr., says Charania. In addition, Marc Stein of The New York Times also reported (via Twitter) that Orlando requested to interview Mavericks assistant Jamahl Mosley.
Damian Lillard Could Request Trade From Blazers
The Trail Blazers’ inability to build a contending roster and recent backlash involving the expected hiring of Chauncey Billups as head coach are among the factors that could push star point guard Damian Lillard “out the door,” Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reports.
Lillard, who has spent every season of his career with Portland since being drafted sixth in 2012, put forth one of his best campaigns in 2020/21. He averaged 28.8 points, 7.5 assists and 35.8 minutes in 67 contests, raising those averages to 34.3 points, 10.2 assists and 41.3 minutes during six playoff outings.
The Blazers ultimately lost to the Nuggets in a six-game first-round series, immediately raising questions about Lillard’s future. The All-Star guard has long expressed a desire to spend his career in Portland and win a title with the Blazers, but he has admitted multiple times that the 2020/21 season was his most frustrating as a pro.
Haynes, who wrote in the spring that the Blazers ought to be taking a more aggressive approach to building a championship-caliber roster around Lillard, is close with the Blazers point guard, though Lillard distanced himself from that earlier column.
Haynes notes in his newest report that Lillard’s decision to stay in Portland throughout his career can be attributed in large part to his strong connection with the fans. However, some Portland fans have pushed back against the decision to hire Billups due to sexual assault allegations stemming from a 1997 incident. Lillard, who identified Billups as a candidate he liked, said he wasn’t involved in the search and didn’t know about those allegations.
“Really? I was asked what coaches I like of the names I “heard” and I named them. Sorry I wasn’t aware of their history I didn’t read the news when I was 7/8yrs old,” Lillard tweeted in response to a fan on Saturday. “I don’t support Those things … but if this the route y’all wana come at me… say less.”
Portland is expected to announce the hiring of Billups on Tuesday, Haynes reports. Billups, a 17-year veteran, is currently in his first season of coaching as an assistant under Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue. As relayed previously, Lillard listed Billups and now-Mavericks coach Jason Kidd as two preferred names shortly after the Blazers fired Terry Stotts.
A six-time All-Star, Lillard would command interest from several teams across the league if he and Portland separate. Contenders such as the Sixers, Heat and Lakers were among the clubs that expressed interest in acquiring a lead ball-handler this season, whether it was James Harden, Kyle Lowry or another player before the trade deadline.
Trail Blazers Expected To Finalize Deal With Billups Despite Criticism
The Trail Blazers are receiving public backlash about their choice to hire Chauncey Billups as their next head coach, but the criticism won’t affect their decision, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (video link from “NBA Countdown).
The outcry is related to a sexual assault case involving Billups and some of his teammates in 1997. No criminal charges were brought against Billups, and the case was ultimately settled in civil court.
Wojnarowski says that after talking to Billups on Wednesday, Blazers management conducted an investigation of the charges. Billups’ version of the events in subsequent interviews with general manager Neil Olshey and owner Jody Allen were consistent with what the investigation found and he was offered the job Friday night, Wojnarowski adds.
Portland continues to work out contract details with Billups and is expected to announce his hiring sometime in the next few days, according to Wojnarowski.
The choice of Billups has been unpopular in the Portland media, with John Canzano of The Oregonian calling it “the most pathetic hiring charade in state history.” He points out that the Trail Blazers had a chance to make history by hiring Spurs assistant Becky Hammon, who was a finalist for the job, or they could have brought back Ime Udoka, a former assistant with the team, who was hired by the Celtics instead.
Canzano says the decision on Billups is the work of Olshey, who settled on him early as the primary candidate. Canzano suggests that Olshey has too much power in the organization and is ignoring the team’s history of alienating fans by having too many players accused of serious crimes.
The negative response has even reached Blazers star Damian Lillard, who identified Billups as one of his preferred choices shortly after the team parted ways with Terry Stotts, writes Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian.
After being accused by a fan of being responsible for Billups’ hiring, Lillard tweeted, “Really? I was asked what coaches I like of the names I ‘heard’ and I named them. Sorry I wasn’t aware of their history I didn’t read the news when I was 7/8yrs old. I don’t support Those things … but if this the route y’all wana come at me… say less.”
Magic, Wizards Ask Permission To Interview Jamahl Mosley
The Magic and Wizards have both requested permission to talk with Mavericks assistant Jamahl Mosley about their head coaching vacancies, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times.
A report earlier today indicated that Mosley is likely to leave Dallas after being passed over when the team hired hired Jason Kidd as its new head coach. Mosley, who has been a part of Dallas’ coaching staff since 2014 and has a strong relationship with Luka Doncic, didn’t receive the consideration for the job that he expected.
The 43-year-old has a strong reputation around the league and has been a candidate for other head coaching openings in the past. He began his post-playing career working in player development with the Nuggets in 2005 and was named an assistant coach two years later. He left for Cleveland in 2010 and spent four years there before coming to Dallas.
Mosley has been in charge of the Mavericks’ defensive schemes since 2018 and served as head coach of their Summer League team from 2017-19.
Chauncey Billups Emerges As Blazers’ Choice For Head Coach
Clippers assistant Chauncey Billups has emerged as the Trail Blazers’ choice to be their next head coach and the two parties are looking to finalize a deal, Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic tweet.
Spurs assistant Becky Hammon and Nets assistant Mike D’Antoni were the other finalists for the job previously held by Terry Stotts.
Trail Blazers owner Jody Allen reportedly pushed for Hammon while president of basketball operations Neil Olshey preferred Billups. Both of them came in for second interviews this week. Hammon became the first female finalist for an NBA head coaching position.
For Billups, it’ll be his first head coaching job, assuming the two sides finalize an agreement. The 2004 Finals MVP for the Pistons, the organization in which he acquired the nickname “Mr. Big Shot,” joined Tyronn Lue‘s staff this season after a stint with ESPN. Billups, 44, retired as a player after the 2013/14 season.
Billups, who has frequently been cited as a frontrunner for the job, received an endorsement from point guard Damian Lillard following Stotts’ exit. He also interviewed for the Celtics’ job, which went to Nets assistant Ime Udoka.
The Wizards, Magic and Pelicans are still in the process of hiring new head coaches.
Kawhi Leonard Won’t Play In Game 4
Kawhi Leonard will sit out Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals on Saturday, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue told Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN and other media members (Twitter link). Another prominent Clippers forward, Marcus Morris, will be a game-time decision.
Leonard hasn’t played since injuring his knee during Game 5 of L.A.’s second-round series against the Jazz.
The Clippers are officially calling Leonard’s knee injury a sprain, but few details have been released about the severity. There was concern last week that he might have damaged his ACL, but there’s been no confirmation one way or the other.
Leonard was averaging 30.4 PPG, 7.7 RPG and 4.4 APG in 11 postseason games prior to the injury.
Morris played 24 minutes in the Clippers’ Game 3 victory over Phoenix, contributing eight points and five rebounds in 24 minutes. He’s also been battling a knee issue.
The Suns lead the series 2-1.
Cavs Looking To Move Collin Sexton?
The Cavaliers have begun to explore trade options involving guard Collin Sexton, Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated reports.
Sexton is one of the prominent players eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason. He’s likely to seek a maximum contract, Woo notes, but the Cavaliers have continued to flounder during his first three seasons. The Cavs have gone 19-63, 19-46 and 22-50 during that span.
Jarrett Allen is a restricted free agent and Cleveland is expected to pursue a multiyear deal with the young center it acquired from the Nets this season.
There’s belief around the league that the Cavs would prefer to trade Sexton in order to protect their future cap flexibility, according to Woo. Sexton averaged a team-high 24.3 PPG and 4.4 APG this season.
The fact that the Cavs moved up in the lottery also plays into that notion. They hold the No. 3 pick in the draft and three of the top four prospects are guards — Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green and Jalen Suggs. They could replace Sexton with a player on a rookie contract for the next few years and acquire other assets for him.
Kidd Emerges As Top Candidate For Mavs’ Coaching Job
7:45pm: The Mavs have had discussions with longtime Nike executive Nico Harrison about joining the front office, MacMahon tweets. Harrison has been pursued for front office jobs by other teams, MacMahon adds. He would work in tandem with current front office exec Michael Finley.
6:35pm: The Mavericks have begun contract negotiations with Kidd, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets.
6:00pm: Jason Kidd has emerged as the strong frontrunner for the Mavericks’ head coaching job, Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim MacMahon of ESPN tweet. Dallas is also close to hiring a new president of basketball operations, Woj adds.
The New York Times reported earlier in the day Kidd was a prime candidate to replace longtime coach Rick Carlisle.
The Mavs are expected to name a replacement for former president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson before hiring a head coach. Owner Mark Cuban and his unnamed choice to replace Nelson have held in-depth discussions about the coaching job and Kidd’s candidacy is supported by Dirk Nowitzki and others advising Cuban, MacMahon tweets. Nowitzki was recently named a special advisor to Cuban.
Kidd received an endorsement on Thursday from Carlisle, who coached Kidd from 2008-12. Carlisle, who was named the Pacers’ head coach on Thursday, believes there are many similarities between Kidd during his playing days and current star Luka Doncic.
Kidd interviewed for the Magic head coaching job after pulling himself out of the running for the Trail Blazers’ job.
Kidd’s record as a head coach — one season with the Nets and three-plus seasons with the Bucks — is 183-190. He was fired by Milwaukee midway through the 2017/18 campaign. He’s been one of the Lakers’ top assistants under Frank Vogel the last two seasons.
Pacers Hire Rick Carlisle As Head Coach
3:50pm: The Pacers have made it official, announcing in a press release that they’ve hired Carlisle.
“Rick is a proven winner with a championship and will be a Hall of Fame coach,” Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said in a statement. “He has demonstrated throughout his career an ability to build something with sustainable success. He has great respect for our franchise and our fans from his previous times here. We are very happy to welcome him back to Indiana.”
10:13am: The Pacers are hiring Rick Carlisle as their new head coach, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that Carlisle will sign a four-year contract worth $29MM.
It’s a reunion for the Pacers and Carlisle. He was an assistant coach on Larry Bird‘s staff in Indiana from 1997-2000 and became the team’s head coach from 2003-07 before moving on to Dallas.
For the last 13 years, Carlisle has been the Mavericks’ head coach, leading the team to a title in 2011 and compiling an overall regular season record of 555-478 (.537). Taking into account previous head coaching stints in Detroit and Indiana, Carlisle has an overall regular season mark of 836-689 (.548), putting him 15th in career wins among all NBA head coaches.
Carlisle stepped down from his position as the Mavs’ head coach earlier this month and there was a sense at the time that he might have another opportunity lined up. Given his history with the Pacers, a return to Indiana makes sense — especially since the organization was seeking an experienced leader after its experiment with first-time head coach Nate Bjorkgren failed after just one year.
Steve Clifford, Brian Shaw, and Terry Stotts were among the other candidates considered by the Pacers, who will pay a premium to bring in Carlisle. Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files notes (via Twitter) that the new coach’s reported salary will be about twice what Frank Vogel and Nate McMillan received during their stints as Indiana’s head coach. The club is also still paying Bjorkgren for another year.
Although Carlisle still had two years left on his contract with Dallas when he resigned, the Mavs had indicated they wouldn’t seek compensation from a team that hired him, so the Pacers won’t have to give up any assets to finalize the deal.
Carlisle will be tasked with turning a veteran-heavy Pacers squad that missed the playoffs this year into a legit contender in the Eastern Conference. While the team may shake up its roster a little this summer – a Myles Turner trade remains a possibility – there’s an expectation that most key players, including Domantas Sabonis, Caris LeVert, Malcolm Brogdon, and T.J. Warren, should be back.
Now that the Pacers and Celtics (Ime Udoka) have made decisions on new head coaches, there are five teams still conducting active searches. Those teams are the Wizards, Pelicans, Magic, Mavericks, and Blazers.