Pistons Extend Dwane Casey’s Contract
7:10pm: The extension is official, tweets Keith Langlois of NBA.com.
5:05pm: Head coach Dwane Casey will receive a contract extension from the Pistons that will run through the 2023/24 season, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Casey still has two years remaining on the five-year deal he signed when he came to Detroit in 2018, so the move amounts to a one-year extension. He has an 81-137 record in his three seasons with the Pistons, but the last two have been part of a major rebuilding effort.
General manager Troy Weaver has been happy with Casey’s performance in developing young talent, Wojnarowski adds, especially Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart, two of the team’s first-round picks in last year’s draft. Weaver has also been pleased that Casey has kept the team competitive despite not having much established talent on the roster.
In addition to his accomplishments with the younger players, Casey also helped free agent addition Jerami Grant adapt to a larger role in the offense than he had in Denver. Forward Josh Jackson and guard Frank Jackson have also shown promise since joining the Pistons.
The 64-year-old Casey was named Coach of the Year with the Raptors in 2017, but was fired that same season. He also spent time as head coach of the Timberwolves and has a 454-444 career record.
Marc Lore Believes Wolves Negotiations “Close To Finish Line”
As we detailed on Tuesday, the exclusive 30-day negotiating window that Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor and a group led by Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore entered into last month expired this week, but the two sides reportedly continue to negotiate in good faith.
Speaking to Matthew Boyle of Bloomberg, Lore confirmed that point and expressed optimism that a deal will get done. According to Boyle, Lore said that talks with Taylor are “going well” and that he thinks they’re “getting close to the finish line.”
While Lore’s comments don’t provide any guarantees, they’re an encouraging sign, given that Taylor has entered into exclusive negotiating windows with potential suitors for the team in the past and has never completed a deal.
Taylor appears to have gotten much further down the road with Lore and Rodriguez than with those previous bidders. The two sides have already agreed on some key points, including a valuation in the $1.5 billion range for the franchise, and a plan to have Lore and A-Rod come aboard as limited partners before they eventually assume majority control.
Still, with the exclusivity window closed and no deal officially done, there’s an opening for other interested parties to get in touch with Taylor and attempt to gain some traction in discussions of their own. Marc Stein of The New York Times reports (via Twitter) that former NBA wing Arron Afflalo, who is heading up one potential ownership group, intends to resume his efforts to buy the team. It remains to be seen if those talks or others will go anywhere.
LeBron James Won’t Return Tonight
LeBron James has confirmed that he will take a few more days to rest his injured ankle. The Lakers star had been targeting tonight’s game against the Rockets for his return to the lineup, but he has decided against trying to play.
“Getting close but I won’t be in the lineup tonight,” James tweeted, “but more importantly I will be there to put that CHAMPIONSHIP banner in the rafters at Staples Center in front of our fans!!”
L.A.’s next game is Saturday at Indiana. The Lakers will finish the regular season Sunday at New Orleans, and it’s unlikely that James will attempt to play on back-to-back nights.
James is still dealing with the effects of a high-ankle sprain he suffered in a March 20 game. He returned to the lineup on April 30, but aggravated the injury in a May 2 contest and hasn’t played since.
The Lakers may be headed for the play-in tournament, which begins next Tuesday, and James will want to make sure his ankle is in good shape for the start of the postseason.
Victor Oladipo To Undergo Season-Ending Quad Tendon Surgery
Heat guard Victor Oladipo will undergo surgery on the same right quadriceps tendon that he ruptured in 2019, the team announced today (via Twitter). The procedure will end Oladipo’s season and there’s no timetable for his return, per the club.
It’s a disappointing turn of events for Oladipo and for the Heat, who acquired the two-time All-Star at the trade deadline in March. However, if there’s a belief that going under the knife again represents Oladipo’s best path back to full strength, it’s the right call.
According to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link), Oladipo made the decision himself to undergo surgery, but the Heat were in agreement. A source tells Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link) that the quad tendon isn’t ruptured this time around, so there’s hope that Oladipo’s recovery will be quicker than it was in 2019-20.
Oladipo, who returned from his previous quad tendon injury in January of 2020, never seemed to fully recapture his old All-Star form during the last year. In 33 games this season for the Pacers, Rockets, and Heat, the 29-year-old posted respectable marks of 19.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 4.6 APG, but his shooting averages (.408/.326/.754) were well below his career numbers and he didn’t look as explosive as he had during his first two years in Indiana.
With Oladipo unavailable going forward, the Heat will continue to rely on a backcourt rotation headed by Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn, and Goran Dragic.
As for Oladipo, he’s on track to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason and his stock will certainly be affected by this development. Teams interested in signing Oladipo will keep a close eye on his recovery process, and it seems possible he’ll end up on a short-term deal that would allow him to try to rebuild his value before he returns to the open market in a year or two.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bucks Officially Waive Rodions Kurucs
The Bucks have formally requested waivers on forward Rodions Kurucs, the team announced today (via Twitter).
The move had been anticipated, since Milwaukee needed to release a player in order to make room on the 15-man roster for Elijah Bryant. The club hasn’t officially announced Bryant’s deal yet, but that figures to happen soon.
Kurucs, who was the 40th overall pick in the 2018 draft, spent two-plus seasons with Brooklyn before being dealt to Houston in the James Harden blockbuster earlier this year. The 23-year-old was later flipped to the Bucks along with P.J. Tucker.
Kurucs showed promise as a rookie in 2018/19, averaging 8.5 points and 3.9 rebounds in 63 games (20.5 MPG) for Brooklyn. However, he saw his role cut back in his second season as he dealt with legal issues stemming from an assault allegation, and he has barely played at all in 2020/21.
Across 21 games for three teams this season, the Latvian forward has put up 1.5 PPG and 1.1 RPG in 6.0 minutes per contest. He resolved his legal situation in March by pleading guilty to disorderly conduct.
Assuming he goes unclaimed, Kurucs will officially clear waivers on Friday. He could theoretically be signed by a new NBA team before the regular season ends on Sunday, but he wouldn’t be playoff-eligible.
Tilman Fertitta Says He’s Excited About Rockets’ Future
The Rockets have lost an incredible 43 of their last 48 games, will finish the season with the NBA’s worst record, and will only have a 52.1% chance to keep their first-round pick, which is top-four protected. However, team owner Tilman Fertitta tells ESPN’s Tim MacMahon that he remains bullish on the future of the franchise.
“I never thought I could feel this good after winning only 16 games,” Fertitta said of his 16-53 club. “I never thought I could feel this good when I’ve been so upset about losing. But when I look at all the draft picks that we have and the future, I’m just happy. I know it’s unusual to feel this good with your coach (Stephen Silas) and your general manager (Rafael Stone), but I do.”
If the Rockets’ 2021 first-round pick falls outside of the top four, they’ll have to send it to the Thunder in exchange for Miami’s first-round selection. Houston also owes two more future first-rounders to Oklahoma City, in 2024 (top-four protected) and 2026 (top-four protected).
However, the Rockets have acquired several other first-round picks and swaps in various trades, including the James Harden blockbuster — they’ll have Portland’s and Brooklyn’s first-round picks this year, as well as first-rounders from the Nets, Pistons, Wizards, and Bucks in future drafts. Fertitta expressed a willingness to be patient waiting for those extra selections to pay dividends.
“It could be 2027 that we get a top-five pick that ends up being the next greatest player,” Fertitta told MacMahon. “We don’t know, but my people have shown all they’ve done so far is made the right decision, and I’m proud of all of them. I’m proud of the basketball ops people and I’m proud of Silas, because they keep showing me they’re doing the right things.”
Fertitta specifically credited Stone for the acquisitions of Christian Wood and young building blocks like Kevin Porter and Kenyon Martin Jr. He also praised Silas for the work he has done dealing with adversity this season and developing those young players. The Rockets’ owner added that he doesn’t have a specific timeline in mind for the club becoming a legit contender again.
“I can tell you this: I’m going to be patient,” Fertitta told ESPN. “I know my basketball guys know what they’re doing. We’re not going to go do something stupid to try to get into the playoffs next year that then will prevent us from competing for a championship in a couple years. … I think we’ll be much better next year and we’ll be much better the following year and then we’ll be much better the following year.”
Magic Sign Ignas Brazdeikis For Rest Of Season
Following the expiration of his 10-day contract on Tuesday night, Ignas Brazdeikis has signed a new rest-of-season contract with the Magic. The team announced the deal in a press release.
Brazdeikis, 22, appeared in five games during his first 10 days with the Magic, averaging a solid 10.0 points and 4.6 rebounds on .432/.500/.700 shooting in 28.4 minutes per contest.
The second-year wing, who was selected 47th overall in the 2019 draft, previously spent time with the Knicks and Sixers, but only appeared in 14 total games for those two clubs, logging limited playing time at the NBA level. Of Brazdeikis’ 210 career NBA minutes, 142 have come during his brief stint with the Magic.
With Brazdeikis back under contract, Orlando is once again carrying 18 players (including two-ways). Although 17 is the usual limit, the Magic have been granted a hardship exception allowing them to carry an extra player, due to all the injuries the team is dealing with.
Potential Lottery Pick Alperen Sengun Enters 2021 Draft
Turkish big man Alperen Sengun has submitted paperwork entering his name into the 2021 NBA draft pool, he tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
Sengun, 18, is considered one of the best international prospects in this year’s draft class, currently ranking 14th overall on ESPN’s big board. Givony describes the young center as a “dominant interior scorer” who has the ability to protect the rim, crash the boards, and create scoring opportunities for teammates. NBA scouts have compared him to players such as Kevin Love and Domantas Sabonis, Givony notes.
Sengun’s performance for Besiktas in Turkey this season has helped increase his stock, solidifying him as a projected first-round pick. In 29 Turkish League games (28.3 MPG), he has averaged 19.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.7 blocks per contest, with a .646 FG%.
“At the beginning of the season, I didn’t think my performance would be this high, but with every passing game I felt I could do more and more,” Sengun told ESPN in an email. “I believe that there are no limits for me to get better as a basketball player.”
As Givony details, Sengun intends to play for Turkey in the Olympic qualifying tournament in late June. The Tokyo games overlap with the July 29 draft, but if Turkey doesn’t earn a spot in the Olympics, Sengun would focus on preparing for the draft, including perhaps working out for NBA teams if in-person auditions are permitted.
2021 Draft Combine To Take Place In Person In Chicago
The NBA is moving forward with plans to hold the 2021 draft combine in person after having to conduct a virtual combine in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links).
When the NBA previously announced its plans for the combine, it cautioned that the pre-draft event would be subject to “evolving public health conditions.” Those conditions will certainly still be monitored and considered, but for now, the outlook for an in-person combine looks good.
According to Charania, the plan is for the combine – which is scheduled for June 21-27, as we detailed on Tuesday – to return to Chicago and to take place at Wintrust Arena and Marriott Marquis. It will include the following:
- Team interview sessions
- Shooting drills
- Half-court drills
- Five-on-five games
- Strength/agility testing
- Player measurements
- Medicals
According to Charania, a total of 10 personnel members per team will be permitted to attend the on-court portion of the combine, which is consistent with the guidelines from 2019. Up to six team personnel members will be allowed to attend in-person interviews with prospects, Charania adds.
With over a month to go until the combine begins, we’re still a few weeks away from getting a clear idea of which players will be in attendance. The NBA typically sends out invites to about 60-to-80 top prospects after getting feedback from teams on which players they want to see. Often, players who project to be top-five picks will only participate in a portion of the combine or skip the event altogether because they’re comfortable with their expected draft position.
Ankle Sprain To Sideline Mitchell For Rest Of Regular Season
All-Star Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell is set to miss the team’s final three regular season games due to an injured right ankle, the Jazz announced in a statement (via Twitter). The Jazz are currently the top seed in the Western Conference with a sparkling 50-19 record, 1.5 games clear of the Suns.
Mitchell initially suffered a right ankle sprain on April 16. Though there is no structural damage in the ankle, Utah has been understandably cautious in holding out one of its top performers.
The Jazz noted that the 24-year-old will stay in Salt Lake City and won’t join the team on the road as he undergoes further treatment on the afflicted ankle. The club said that Mitchell’s health status will be reassessed ahead of the start of the playoffs, which tip off on May 22.
The Jazz have gone 8-5 since Mitchell sprained his ankle. Across 53 games this year, Mitchell has averaged 26.4 PPG, 5.2 APG, 4.4 RPG and 1.0 SPG. He boasts a shooting line of .438/.386/.845.
A left hamstring strain has kept Mitchell’s All-Star backcourt mate, veteran point guard Mike Conley, unavailable for Utah since April 28.