Doc Rivers To Meet With Sixers
Doc Rivers will meet with the Sixers in the Philadelphia area to discuss the team’s head coaching position, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
As we outlined this morning, Mike D’Antoni and Tyronn Lue – who interviewed with the team on Tuesday – were considered last week to be the two finalists for Philadelphia’s coaching vacancy. However, Rivers’ split with the Clippers on Monday created a wild card in the team’s search process. The Sixers reached out to Rivers shortly after word broke of his exit from L.A.
Rivers still had two years left on his contract with the Clippers when the two sides parted ways and there’s no set plan yet for when the 2020/21 NBA season will begin or what it will look like, so it’s been unclear whether the veteran head coach will seek another job right away. The fact that Rivers is meeting with the Sixers does suggest he’s interested in another coaching job for ’20/21 though.
The belief as of this past weekend was that 76ers ownership prefers D’Antoni, but Rivers wasn’t available at that point. Rivers’ coaching résumé includes a higher winning percentage (.581) than D’Antoni’s (.560), a championship, and a reputation as one of the league’s most popular head coaches among players.
If Rivers, D’Antoni, and Lue are all interested in the Philadelphia job, it would create a fascinating decision for the franchise. There’s an expectation that a decision will come this week, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
If Rivers and the Sixers don’t come to an agreement and he wants to coach in 2020/21, he should have other options. The Pelicans reportedly contacted him and the Rockets are said to have interest as well.
Tyronn Lue Interviews For Sixers’ Coaching Job
Tyronn Lue‘s interview with the Sixers took place as scheduled on Tuesday, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, who reports that the Clippers assistant also toured the club’s practice facility in Camden, New Jersey as part of the meeting.
Lue met with Sixers co-owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer, as well as general manager Elton Brand, Pompey adds.
Last week, Pompey reported that the 76ers’ coaching search appeared to be down to two candidates: Lue and Mike D’Antoni. The belief is that team ownership prefers D’Antoni, but Lue remains in the running and is interested in the job. If he’s going to land it though, he may have to beat out not just D’Antoni but a new contender — Pompey confirms that Philadelphia has reached out to Doc Rivers‘ representatives following his exit from the Clippers.
It remains to be seen how serious the Sixers are about Rivers, or vice versa. Rivers appears to be happy living in Southern California, according to Pompey, who speculates that the uncertainty surrounding the 2020/21 schedule may increase the odds that the former Clippers coach sits out the season. Rivers’ contract with L.A. still had two years left on it, so he’ll be comfortable financially for a while.
Before Rivers and the Clippers parted ways, sources told Pompey that the Sixers would prefer to name a coach this week.
If the Sixers don’t act soon on Lue, he’ll have plenty of other options to explore. Sources tell Pompey that the Pelicans are expected to have an informal meeting with Lue on Friday and that he’s scheduled to interview with the Rockets next week. He’s also believed to be a candidate to replace Rivers in Los Angeles.
Tanenbaum Promises To Extend Ujiri’s Contract
Raptors president Masai Ujiri would get plenty of offers around the league if he became available. The chairman of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, Larry Tanenbaum, vows to not let that happen, Doug Smith of the Toronto Star reports.
Tanenbaum said he’ll eventually reach an extension with Ujiri, who has a year remaining on his contract.
The Raptors extended coach Nick Nurse’s contract after Toronto was eliminated from the postseason. They’re also close to an extension agreement with GM Bobby Webster, who is also under contract through next season.
“We have time and we’re going to work through the process in the right time and the right way, I know that for sure,” Tanenbaum said.
Once a deal is reached with Webster, Tanenbaum will turn his attention toward locking up Ujiri to a multi-year extension.
“Masai is getting (extensions) done (with Nurse and Webster) and we, too, will get it done,” Tanenbaum said.
Ujiri and Webster have important roster decisions to make this offseason with Fred VanVleet, Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka headed to unrestricted free agency and OG Anunoby eligible for a rookie scale extension.
Lue, Van Gundy Expected To Be Prime Candidates For Clippers Job
Clippers assistant Tyronn Lue and broadcaster and former Knicks and Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy are expected to be candidates to replace Doc Rivers, Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times tweets. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski notes that Lue and Van Gundy are among the top candidates in the marketplace (Twitter link) and the Clippers are the “ultimate win-now team.”
The Clippers and Rivers parted ways on Monday in what was termed a mutual decision between the 58-year-old Rivers and owner Steve Ballmer, according to a team press release (hat tip to Jovan Buha of The Athletic).
“Doc has been a terrific coach for the Clippers, an incredible ambassador, and a pillar of strength during tumultuous times,” Ballmer said in a statement. “He won a heck of a lot of games and laid a foundation for this franchise.”
As Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN notes, both Lue and Van Gundy have strong ties to the organization (Twitter link). Lue, naturally, has the advantage of being Rivers’ top assistant and has already formed relationships with stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Van Gundy has a strong relationship with Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank.
Lue will apparently have multiple options. He’s expected to interview with the Sixers on Tuesday and has also been linked to the Pelicans’ head coaching job. Van Gundy is reportedly a candidate for a second stint with Houston.
Pelicans, 76ers Reach Out To Doc Rivers
The Pelicans and 76ers have already reached out to former Clippers coach Doc Rivers regarding their head coaching jobs, Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated tweets.
The Clippers and Rivers parted ways on Monday in what was termed a mutual decision between the 58-year-old Rivers and owner Steve Ballmer, according to a team press release (hat tip to Jovan Buha of The Athletic).
The Clippers made the postseason in six of the seven years that Rivers coached them but never advanced past the second round.
New Orleans and Philadelphia have shown strong interest in Clippers assistant Tyronn Lue, who is now expected to be a prime candidate to replace Rivers. The Pelicans have reportedly taken their time doing background work on potential candidates to replace Alvin Gentry. They are looking for a coach who can take a relatively young roster, headed by Zion Williamson, to the next level.
The Sixers have also been linked to former Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni. The Sixers’ ownership group was reportedly pushing the front office to hire D’Antoni as Brett Brown’s replacement. They are searching for ways to get one of the most expensive rosters in the league to the Finals.
The availability of Rivers now further clouds the coaching searches around the league. As long as Rivers wants to coach next season, it seems a good bet he’ll land somewhere quickly.
Doc Rivers Out As Clippers’ Head Coach
Doc Rivers won’t return next season as head coach of the Clippers, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). The team confirmed the move in a press release, announcing that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and Rivers reached a mutual decision that the head coach will step down.
Rivers has issued a statement on his Twitter account confirming his exit and thanking “Clipper Nation” for its support.
“When I took this job, my goals were to make this a winning basketball program, a free agent destination, and bring a championship to this organization,” Rivers wrote. “While I was able to accomplish most of my goals, I won’t be able to see them all through. Though it was a disappointing ending to our season, you are right there and I know what this team is capable of accomplishing with your support.”
Rivers, who previously coached in Orlando and Boston, had been the Clippers’ head coach since the 2013/14 season, compiling a 356-208 (.631) record during his seven seasons in Los Angeles. He oversaw multiple iterations of the roster during that stint, starting with a group led by Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, which ultimately transformed into this year’s team led by Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
During his tenure, Rivers took on responsibilities beyond those of a typical head coach, helping to guide the organization through the transition in ownership from Donald Sterling to Ballmer, then running the basketball operations department until Lawrence Frank was promoted to president of basketball ops in 2017.
The Clippers made the postseason in six of the seven years with Rivers at the helm, falling short of the playoffs just once in 2018. However, the team never advanced past the second round, having been eliminated in the Western Conference Semifinals in 2014, 2015, and 2020. This year’s loss was especially devastating, as the Clips were considered a frontrunner for the title and held a 3-1 lead over Denver before losing their final three games of the season.
Despite that end-of-season collapse, Rivers’ exit comes as a surprise, since he’s well-liked and respected by players around the league, and possesses a championship résumé. He also had two years left on his contract, per Wojnarowski (Twitter link), and his presence in Los Angeles was believed to be a major factor in Leonard’s desire to sign with the Clippers last summer.
Rivers was the NBA’s fifth longest-tenured coach, behind only Gregg Popovich (Spurs), Erik Spoelstra (Heat), Rick Carlisle (Mavericks), and Terry Stotts (Trail Blazers).
It’s unclear what’s next for Rivers, but if he’s interested in pursuing another head coaching job immediately, the teams still in the process of hiring new head coaches should sit up and take notice. The Sixers, Rockets, Pelicans, Pacers, and Thunder make up that group.
As for the Clippers, it will be fascinating to see who replaces Rivers on the team’s bench for the 2020/21 campaign. Assistants Tyronn Lue and Sam Cassell have been linked to other coaching vacancies and may be candidates for promotions, but the franchise figures to be deliberate in its search — with Leonard and George eligible for free agency in 2021, it will be imperative for the Clips to find a head coach capable of connecting with those stars and leading the roster to title contention next season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Pacers’ Oladipo, Turner Viewed As Offseason Trade Candidates?
Pacers guard Victor Oladipo is “looking to move on” from Indiana this offseason, sources tell Jared Weiss of The Athletic, who writes that Pacers big man Myles Turner is “possibly in the same boat.”
Weiss is a Celtics beat writer and his update on Oladipo and Turner is buried within a piece about Boston’s future and upcoming roster decisions. However, J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star confirms Weiss’ intel, tweeting that – based on conversations he has had – Oladipo and Turner are the two Pacers most likely to be moved before the 2020/21 season begins.
There has been some smoke on the Oladipo front for several months now. A report in the spring indicated that opposing teams were monitoring his situation in Indiana as he prepared to enter a contract year in 2020/21. A series of subsequent stories in July named the Heat as a probable suitor and indicated that the two-time All-Star intends to reach free agency in 2021 rather than signing an early extension with the Pacers.
An Indianapolis Star report at that time suggested that Oladipo’s top two priorities in free agency will be maximizing his earnings and putting himself in position to win championships. Whichever team holds Oladipo’s Bird rights when he reaches free agency will have the ability to offer him the most money and years, so if he’s not confident in the Pacers’ ability to compete for titles over the next several years, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him start pushing for a deal to a preferred destination.
Following the Pacers’ elimination from the postseason in August, Oladipo didn’t suggest in his public comments that he was seeking an exit ramp out of Indiana, but he also didn’t strongly commit to the franchise. His situation will be worth watching closely going forward, especially since the Pacers showed in 2017 with Paul George that they’re not afraid to trade a disgruntled star a year ahead of his free agency.
As for Turner, he has been the subject of trade rumors in the past, since there have long been questions about his positional overlap with fellow big man Domantas Sabonis. Both players are on reasonably team-friendly deals, with Turner locked up through 2023 and Sabonis under contract through 2024. However, Sabonis may have emerged as the Pacers’ preferred long-term building block in 2019/20, as he earned an All-Star berth for the first time.
Indiana has long denied that it wants to break up the Turner/Sabonis frontcourt duo, but many executives around the NBA remain convinced it will happen at some point, and T.J. Warren‘s success as the team’s de facto power forward this summer will only fuel those trade rumors. Moving Turner could help the Pacers acquire a player – or player(s) – who would fit better with their core.
LaMelo Ball Headlines List Of Draft Combine Participants
Potential No. 1 overall pick LaMelo Ball will be among the prospects participating in the revamped virtual draft combine this week, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Ball is scheduled to take part in team interviews and a media session this week, but may not participate in any other portion, Jeremy Woo of SI.com cautions (via Twitter).
While Ball’s participation might be limited, many of this year’s other top prospects aren’t taking part in the event at all. As Woo points out (via Twitter), Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman, Obi Toppin, Onyeka Okongwu, Cole Anthony, Aaron Nesmith, Devin Vassell, and Saddiq Bey are among the players who don’t appear on the list of participants sent out by the NBA.
The list of top prospects besides Ball who will be participating in the event includes Precious Achiuwa, Deni Avdija, Tyrese Haliburton, RJ Hampton, Killian Hayes, Theo Maledon, and Isaac Okoro, among others.
Here’s the full list of combine participants, via Charania:
- Precious Achiuwa, F, Memphis
- Ty-Shon Alexander, G, Creighton
- Deni Avdija, F, Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)
- Udoka Azubuike, C, Kansas
- LaMelo Ball, G, Illawarra Hawks (Australia)
- Desmond Bane, G, TCU
- Tyler Bey, F, Colorado
- Vernon Carey Jr., C, Duke
- Yoeli Childs, F, BYU
- Mamadi Diakite, F, Virginia
- Devon Dotson, G, Kansas
- Paul Eboua, F, VL Pesaro (Italy)
- CJ Elleby, F, Washington State
- Malachi Flynn, G, San Diego State
- Trent Forrest, G, Florida State
- Josh Green, G/F, Arizona
- Ashton Hagans, G, Kentucky
- Tyrese Haliburton, G, Iowa State
- Josh Hall, F, Moravian Prep
- RJ Hampton, G, New Zealand Breakers (New Zealand)
- Jalen Harris, G, Nevada
- Killian Hayes, G, Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany)
- Markus Howard, G, Marquette
- Elijah Hughes, G/F, Syracuse
- Isaiah Joe, G, Arkansas
- Mason Jones, G, Arkansas
- Tre Jones, G, Duke
- Nathan Knight, F/C, William & Mary
- Kira Lewis, G, Alabama
- Theo Maledon, G, ASVEL (France)
- Karim Mane, G, Vanier College (Canada)
- Nico Mannion, G, Arizona
- Naji Marshall, F, Xavier
- Kenyon Martin Jr., F, IMG Academy
- Skylar Mays, G, LSU
- Jaden McDaniels, F, Washington
- Sam Merrill, G, Utah State
- Zeke Nnaji, F, Arizona
- Jordan Nwora, F, Louisville
- Isaac Okoro, F, Auburn
- Daniel Oturu, C, Minnesota
- Reggie Perry, F, Mississippi State
- Myles Powell, G, Seton Hall
- Payton Pritchard, G, Oregon
- Immanuel Quickley, G, Kentucky
- Jahmi’us Ramsey, G, Texas Tech
- Paul Reed, F, DePaul
- Nick Richards, F/C, Kentucky
- Grant Riller, G, Charleston
- Jay Scrubb, G, John A. Logan College
- Jalen Smith, F, Maryland
- Cassius Stanley, G, Duke
- Lamar Stevens, F, Penn State
- Isaiah Stewart, F/C, Washington
- Tyrell Terry, G, Stanford
- Xavier Tillman, F/C, Michigan State
- Kaleb Wesson, F/C, Ohio State
- Kahlil Whitney, F, Kentucky
- Cassius Winston, G, Michigan State
- Robert Woodard II, F, Mississippi State
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the NBA is unable to hold its typical in-person draft combine this year, but the league has put together an alternative combine that will feature interviews through videoconferencing as well as the making of “pro day” videos, which will include strength and agility testing, anthropometric measurements, and shooting drills. Participants will also undergo medical testing and exams.
For more details on this year’s combine, be sure to check out our full story on the changes.
Jerami Grant Expected To Decline Player Option
Nuggets forward Jerami Grant is expected to decline his $9.3MM player option and become an unrestricted free agent, according to Mike Singer of the Denver Post.
Grant could command anywhere from $14-16MM on the open market and will likely have multiple interested suitors, Singer adds. The 26-year-old Syracuse product was a key cog in the Nuggets’ postseason run, averaging 11.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in 34.4 minutes per game.
Grant hinted that he would likely opt out earlier this summer, acknowledging his improved play with the team. Although Denver could have strong competition for his services, both sides are clearly interested in reaching a new deal in free agency.
“I’m definitely not leaning towards picking up the player option,” Grant said on Yahoo Sports’ Posted Up podcast back in June, as relayed by Quenton S. Albertie of NuggLove). “Like you said, I feel like I definitely outplayed the $9MM that I’m making each year right now. But at the same time… I’d love to come to a conclusion or something like that with Denver, it just depends what we discuss and negotiate when the time comes.”
Denver acquired Grant in July of 2019 for a first-round pick, starting him in 16 of 19 playoff games this year. In addition to Grant, the Nuggets also have frontcourt players Paul Millsap and Mason Plumlee set to reach unrestricted free agency.
When asked directly if he wanted to be part of the team in the future, Grant gave an honest response. “I’m definitely looking forward to it,” he said, as relayed by Singer. “We’ll see how it goes.”
Grant, an athletic 6’8″ forward, was drafted with the No. 39 pick in 2014 by Philadelphia. He holds career-averages of 9.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 24.5 minutes in six total seasons with the Sixers, Thunder and Nuggets.
Malik Beasley Released From Jail Following Arrest
2:09pm: Beasley has been released from jail with no official charges pending, attorney Steve Haney told The Athletic’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
12:00pm: Timberwolves guard Malik Beasley was arrested Saturday night on charges of marijuana possession and receiving and concealing stolen weapons, according to Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. He is being held without bail in the Hennepin County Jail until he sees a judge, which could take another 24 hours, according to The Athletic’s sources.
“At the time of the incident, multiple individuals were present at the residence,” said Beasley’s attorney, Steve Haney. “The allegations against Malik will be defended vigorously.”
Beasley will be a restricted free agent this offseason, and re-signing him is expected to be a priority for the Wolves. He was impressive in 14 games after being acquired in a four-team deal in February, averaging a career-best 20.7 PPG and shooting 42.6% on 3-pointers.
Beasley is attending a three-week mini-camp at the team’s practice facility. He took part in individual workouts during the first week, but not the five-on-five group sessions that followed.
The Timberwolves issued a brief statement on the arrest that read, “We are aware of the situation involving Malik Beasley and are in the process of gathering information at this time.”