Mavs Exec Michael Finley Interviews For Bulls’ GM Job
Mavericks vice president of basketball operations Michael Finley has interviewed for the Bulls’ general manager job, Tim MacMahon of ESPN tweets.
Finley is a Chicago native who has spent the last seven seasons in the Dallas front office after a long playing career. Mavs owner Mark Cuban indicated in a radio interview this week he’d allow Finley to talk to the Bulls.
Chicago’s newly-hired head of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas has promised an “extensive and diverse search” for a GM. Chicago had already been granted permission to speak to Sixers senior VP of player personnel Marc Eversley, Clippers assistant GM Mark Hughes, and Magic assistant GM Matt Lloyd.
Thunder executives Troy Weaver and Nazr Mohammed have also had their names bandied about as potential GM targets for Chicago. However, based on a subsequent report, it would be a surprise if Weaver has interest in the job. Karnisovas has already added J.J. Polk and Pat Connelly in the first steps toward assembling a new front office.
Silver: Still Too Early To Know When Hiatus Will End
Commissioner Adam Silver said in a conference call on Friday that there’s no way to know yet whether this season will be resumed, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.
“We don’t have a good understanding of exactly sort of what those standards are that we need to meet in order to move forward … because the experts don’t necessarily, either,” Silver said following a Board of Governors meeting, which was held via video conferencing.
The league continues to be willing to go deep into the summer and perhaps into the fall to finish this season. Players have been told there is no consensus plan on how the NBA will return, nor a “drop dead date” when cancellation would be necessary, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets.
A number of factors will determine whether the season can be salvaged, including a reduction of the infection rate of COVID-19 nationally, the availability of large-scale testing and progress toward a vaccine for the novel coronavirus.
“Everything is on the table, including potentially delaying the start of next season,” Silver said, according to ESPN’s Rachel Nichols (Twitter link).
While there has been widespread speculation that the NBA would resume at a neutral site such at Las Vegas or Orlando’s Disney complex, Silver said the league isn’t actively pursuing any such “bubble” plan, Reynolds notes.
Until games are played once again, the financial losses will continue to pile up. Players will have 25% of their paychecks withheld beginning on May 15, the league announced earlier in the day.
“Revenues, in essence, have dropped to zero,” Silver said. “That’s having a huge financial impact on team business and arena business.”
Silver also revealed that more players have tested positive for COVID-19 than the seven who have been publicly named but wouldn’t give any more details due to privacy concerns.
NBA, NBPA Agree On Deal To Withhold Portion Of Players’ Pay
4:04pm: The NBA has issued a press release officially confirming the agreement detailed below.
2:29pm: The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association have reached an agreement on a deal that will see 25% of players’ pay checks withheld beginning on May 15, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. According to Wojnarowski, the players’ May 1 checks will be paid in full, as the ones on April 15 were.
The league had previously proposed that players’ pay checks be reduced by 50% beginning on April 15, with the NBPA counter-proposing the deal that has now been agreed upon. Today’s agreement will ensure a more gradual reduction of players’ salaries as they prepare for the likely possibility that some games will be canceled and they’ll have to give up some money as a result.
As cap guru Albert Nahmad and others have explained, if the NBA has to officially cancel regular-season and/or playoff games, the “force majeure” clause in the CBA would allow the league to recoup a portion of players’ salaries — approximately 1% per canceled game. While the NBA still hopes to resume and finish its season, there’s an expectation that the schedule will be reduced to some extent in that scenario.
If they had continued to receive their full pay checks beyond May 15, the players would have put themselves in a position of eventually having to return some of that money to the NBA – if and when the force majeure provision was enacted – to help balance the revenue split between players and owners.
Taking a quarter of players’ pay checks starting on May 15 should help the league and the players’ union remain flexible no matter what happens with the remainder of the season, avoiding any substantial lump-sum payments from one side to the other in the coming months. The players could end up getting money back if the NBA is able to play most or all of its remaining games, whereas if the season is fully canceled, the league would keep that withheld pay and the players would likely owe additional money.
Most NBA players receive their annual pay checks in 24 regular installments through November 1. However, there are some players who receive their salary in just 12 installments through May 1. Those players will have been paid in full by the time today’s plan goes into effect on May 15, so presumably they’ll be required to give back some money. We’ll have to wait for more extensive details on today’s deal to find out exactly how that will work.
UNC’s Cole Anthony Declares For 2020 NBA Draft
UNC freshman guard Cole Anthony has declared for the 2020 NBA draft, officially announcing his decision on Twitter.
A potential lottery pick, Anthony averaged 18.5 PPG, 5.7 RPG, and 4.0 APG in 22 games (34.9 MPG) as a freshman. His first and only college season was derailed for a few weeks by a partially torn meniscus, but he returned to the Tar Heels’ lineup following that injury.
Draft guru Mike Schmitz, who – along with Jonathan Givony – has Anthony ranked 11th on ESPN’s big board, notes that the young point guard is more of a scorer than a facilitator at this point, and is a streaky shooter, having made just 38.0% of his field goals (34.8% from three) at UNC.
However, Schmitz praises Anthony’s offensive confidence and versatility, as well as his competitiveness and ability to fight through screens on defense.
[RELATED: 2020 NBA Draft Early Entrants List]
The 2020 draft class looks heavy on point guards, so despite being ESPN’s 11th overall prospect, Anthony ranks just fifth at his position, behind LaMelo Ball, Tyrese Haliburton, Killian Hayes, and RJ Hampton. NBA teams eyeing point guards early in the draft may also consider the likes of Nico Mannion and Theo Maledon.
G League Development Program Revamped, Includes $500K Salaries
The NBA and G League development program for top high school prospects has been restructured, including salaries and incentives of $500K or more, as well as playing exhibitions rather than regular G League contests, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Adrian Wojnarowski report. Previously, the program offered prospects a $125K salary.
The revamped program helped entice ESPN’s No. 1 high school prospect, Jalen Green, to commit to the G League rather than sign with a college team.
The updated one-year development program will be conducted outside of the G League’s traditional team structure, according to the ESPN duo. Rather than playing regular-season games for a G League affiliate, these top prospects would join some veteran players for exhibition games against G League teams, foreign national teams and NBA academies throughout the world. The exhibitions against G League teams, approximately 10-12 games, wouldn’t count in the standings.
Additionally, the salary bonus structure in a player’s contract will likely include incentives for completing community events and attending life skills program coordinated by the G League, sources tell ESPN.
Previously, top prospects and their advisers had concerns about losing their draft value by being overmatched on G League rosters against more experienced and physically mature players.
The veteran pro players on the team could mentor Green and other prospects while potentially benefiting their own careers. Former NBA coach Sam Mitchell is expected to be a candidate to coach the team, according to the ESPN story.
G League president Shareef Abdur-Rahim believes the updated program will be much more appealing to prospects than going overseas for a year. LaMelo Ball and RJ Hampton, two of the top prep players last year, chose to play in the Australian league.
“We have kids leaving the United States — Texas and California and Georgia — to go around the world to play, and our NBA community has to travel there to scout them. That’s counter-intuitive,” Abdur-Rahim said. “The NBA is the best development system in the world, and those players shouldn’t have to go somewhere else to develop for a year. They should be in our development system.”
The NBA’s negotiations with the NBPA about eliminating the one-and-done rule for the draft remain stalled, per Woj and Givony, so the G League’s program provides a new bridge to the league for players who aren’t interested in going the college route. For now, those players – such as Green – will still become draft-eligible once they’re a year removed from high school.
Top Prep Prospect Jalen Green Headed To G League
12:58pm: Green has officially committed to participating in the G League program, according to an NBAGL press release relayed by Liz Mullen (Twitter link). Todd has also committed to the G League program, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
10:38am: Jalen Green, the top-rated prospect in this year’s high school class, intends to play in the G League next season, Jonathan Givony of ESPN tweets.
Green will make a formal announcement on Thursday regarding his plans but he’s already informing his college suitors that he’ll enter the G League’s professional pathway program, Givony adds.
[RELATED: New details on G League’s revamped development program]
Green is the first prominent high school player to select the G League, rather than being a one-and-done college player or playing overseas until he’s eligible for the draft. As G League expert Adam Johnson notes, the decision represents a huge coup for the league after all of last year’s high school prospects passed up on the chance to play in the NBA’s developmental program (Twitter link).
Green is a 6’5” shooting guard from Fresno, CA who had a laundry list of suitors. He took official visits to Oregon, Kentucky, Auburn and Memphis.
According to ESPN’s prospect evaluation, Green “is a scoring and play-making guard who is only just beginning to scratch the surface of his potential.” Green played for USA Basketball in the FIBA U17 and U19 World Championships in 2018 and 2019 and won gold medals.
With all the uncertainty created by the coronavirus pandemic, the option of playing in the G League is becoming increasingly attractive to high school prospects, according to Evan Daniels of 247 Sports. Going overseas is much less attractive due to the pandemic and there’s no way of knowing if and when the college season will be played.
When the G League professional pathway program was announced in the fall of 2018, prospects were to be paid up to $125K. The league is now willing to go higher than that, Daniels adds.
Another major prospect, power forward Isaiah Todd, is also seriously considering the G League, Daniels adds. Todd is ranked No. 13 by ESPN.
Optimism Growing About Finishing 2019/20 Season
There’s a growing sense around the NBA that the season can be salvaged, Sam Amick of The Athletic reports.
Resuming play in one neutral site, likely Las Vegas, remains the most feasible scenario, Amick continues. However, other scenarios in which teams could play in various locations are also being discussed. In any case, the games would have to be conducted without fans.
Commissioner Adam Silver said on April 6 that no decision regarding the resumption of play this season would be made until at least May 1. There had been growing pessimism prior to Silver’s announcement.
The biggest obstacle would be to procure enough quick-turnaround tests for the coronavirus to ensure the safety of players, coaches, staff members and everyone else necessary to play those games and broadcast them to the general public. Routine testing would have to be conducted throughout the restart process, which would include an approximate month to get players ready for game action.
If the league is willing to push the season back until the late summer, it’s more reasonable to believe it can resume, Amick adds. In a scenario put forth by one team owner, players could start training in early June with the regular season restarting in July and the Finals conducted in late October. An abridged regular season or shortened playoff format could help speed up the process as well.
Projected Lottery Pick Avdija Prepares To Enter Draft
Israeli forward Deni Avdija has submitted paperwork to the NBA to make himself eligible for the draft, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony relays.
Ranked No. 5 overall by Givony, Avdija announced his intention to leave the EuroLeague and play in the NBA on ESPN’s morning show Get Up.
“First of all, the NBA is the best league in the world. There is a lot to learn over there and a lot of experience there,” Avdija said. “It’s going to be great to take my game to the next level.”
According to Givony’s analysis, the 6’9” Avdija is tall enough to play power forward but has the play-making skills of a point guard who excels as a passer in pick-and-rolls.
Viewed by many experts as the top foreign prospect in the draft, Avdija played this season for Maccabi Tel Aviv, averaging 7.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG and 1.6 APG in 19 MPG. He was named Most Valuable Player of the FIBA U20 European Championship last summer while dominating at both ends of the floor. He posted averages of 18.4 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 5.3 APG, 2.4 BPG and 2.1 SPG.
Although he posted modest stats for Maccabi, he was a young rotation player on a team that lost just once in Israeli League play and went 19-9 in the EuroLeague.
Richaun Holmes Wants Long Future In Sacramento
Richaun Holmes has been a bargain since signing a two-year, $10MM deal with the Kings last summer and he hopes to remain with the team long after that contract expires, relays James Ham of NBC Sports Bay Area. Holmes talked about his future during a recent appearance on the Purple Talk podcast.
“I absolutely love Sacramento,” he said. “This community, this city, these fans — have shown me, in my short time here, that I really couldn’t see myself playing anywhere else. I would love to play here the rest of my career. I love to play in front of these fans, be a part of this community — this is a great place to be and I’d love just to be a part of it.”
Holmes seemed headed to a backup role in Sacramento after the team invested $39MM over three years in fellow center Dewayne Dedmon. However, Holmes seized the starting job after four games and played well enough to convince the Kings to trade Dedmon to Atlanta in February.
Holmes, 26, spent three years with the Sixers and one with the Suns before his break-out season. His minutes have increased to 28.8 per game since joining the Kings and he’s posting career highs with 12.8 PPG and 8.3 RPG.
He has also formed a bond with the Sacramento community that included joining a few teammates to pass out meals to more than 1,000 people in need earlier this week. In addition, Holmes’ parents have become social media stars in the area, with celebrations on Instagram after every Kings victory.
“As soon as I got here, it felt like a perfect fit,” Holmes said. “From the team, to the fans, to the community, everybody shows love.”
Knicks Not Retaining Consultant David Blatt
The Knicks are parting ways with David Blatt, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post (Twitter link), who reports that Blatt’s contract has expired after he was hired by the team as a basketball operations consultant last December.
Blatt, a longtime basketball coach who was on the Cavaliers’ sidelines from 2014-16, was hired by the Knicks in the winter after most recently serving as the head coach of Greek team Olympiacos. His role in New York saw him working with the Knicks’ G League team and the organization’s international scouting.
Former Knicks president Steve Mills was responsible for hiring Blatt, who was his teammate at Princeton from 1978-81. Given the close relationship between the two men, it’s unsurprising that the Knicks are moving on from Blatt now that Mills no longer has a role in the club’s basketball operations department. However, Berman notes that Blatt leaves on “good terms” with new team president Leon Rose.
After officially starting his new position on March 2, Rose figures to make more changes to the Knicks’ front office in the coming months. So far though, the team hasn’t been actively hiring or firing executives during the NBA’s hiatus.