Northwest Notes: Gobert, McDaniels, Grant, Giddey
The Timberwolves haven’t determined if Rudy Gobert will accompany the team for Tuesday’s play-in game against the Lakers, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Gobert was sent home during Sunday’s contest after a fight on the bench with teammate Kyle Anderson that reignited at halftime. Head coach Chris Finch told reporters that he will talk with president of basketball operations Tim Connelly before making a final decision on Gobert’s status.
Krawczynski sheds a little more light on the incident, revealing that Gobert was experiencing back spasms Sunday and Anderson pushed him to play because the Wolves needed a win to avoid falling into the 9-10 play-in matchup. Gobert started the game, but his movement was limited by the back condition. During a timeout, Anderson snapped at him to improve his defense and Gobert responded with a punch that hit Anderson in the left shoulder before they were quickly separated.
Gobert was escorted to the locker room with 4:37 left in the first half, but he and Anderson confronted each other again during halftime. Connelly and assistant GM Dell Demps had to calm down the situation and made the decision to have Gobert leave the arena.
Gobert issued a public apology on Twitter Sunday night, admitting that “emotions got the best of me today.”
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Jaden McDaniels‘ broken right hand was a result of frustration after being whistled for two early fouls on Sunday, Krawczynski adds. McDaniels walked down the tunnel to try to calm down and wound up punching a wall, leaving the Timberwolves to prepare for the Lakers without their best perimeter defender. “Certainly immaturity has been one of our issues all season,” Finch said.
- Jerami Grant is pondering a four-year, $112MM extension offer from the Trail Blazers, but even if he opts for free agency it sounds like there’s a good chance he’ll stay in Portland, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic. “I definitely like it here,” Grant said. “I’m looking forward to the talks and trying to figure something out. I definitely feel comfortable here.”
- With a play-in spot already wrapped up, the Thunder had the luxury of resting their rotation players on Sunday, per Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. There’s plenty of optimism in Oklahoma City after a top-10 finish in what was supposed to be a rebuilding season. “From where we were last year to this year, it speaks volumes to what we’ve been able to do and how much we’ve been able to improve,” Josh Giddey said. “As long as we stay on this right path, I think this team and this organization is gonna be in good hands for a long time.”
Damian Lillard Wants Trail Blazers To Target Veteran Help
The Trail Blazers used a 2-15 finish to grab the fifth-best odds in next month’s lottery, but that doesn’t mean the team will try to rebuild through the draft, writes Jason Quick of The Athletic.
Franchise cornerstone Damian Lillard made that clear after Sunday’s 56-point loss to the Warriors in the season finale. This marks the second straight year that Portland has failed to qualify for the play-in tournament, and Lillard said he’s doesn’t want to continue on that path.
“I’m just not interested in that. That’s not a secret,’’ Lillard responded when asked about bringing in more young talent. “I want a chance to go for it. And if the route is to (draft youth), then that’s not my route.”
What that means, according to Quick, is that the Blazers will likely try to trade their first-round pick unless they land the No. 1 selection in the draft. They have a 10.5% chance to get French phenom Victor Wembanyama, but anything else won’t be enough for Lillard, who wants the team to be aggressive in targeting veteran help this offseason.
Lillard’s friendship with Jerami Grant played a role in Portland’s decision to trade for him last summer, and Lillard indicated that’s he’s talked to other players who have expressed a desire to join the Trail Blazers.
“I know there are guys that want to do it, I will just say that,” Lillard said. “I know there are guys who really move the needle and want to do it. But knowing that and actually making something happen to make that a reality is a completely separate thing.”
General manager Joe Cronin and head coach Chauncey Billups expressed similar sentiments on Sunday, with Cronin stating that the organization has a “target group” of players it will look to acquire. Quick notes that Portland was among the teams that pursued the Raptors‘ OG Anunoby before the trade deadline. He names the Nets’ Mikal Bridges and the Celtics’ Jaylen Brown as other players the Blazers might have strong interest in, but they may be beyond the team’s reach.
“We have our favorites,’’ Cronin said. “The ability to get them is not easy.’’
Lillard, who’s coming off his best scoring season at 32.2 PPG, made it clear that he’s not issuing an ultimatum as he did two years ago. He remains committed to staying in Portland and now has the security of an extension that runs through the 2026/27 season. He plans to work with Cronin and Billups on moves that will hopefully turn the Blazers into contenders.
“We all want the same things,” Cronin said. “Whether we are able to go out and accomplish what we want to do … we’ll see.”
Bones Hyland, Mason Plumlee Have Dustup During Clippers’ Game
It didn’t rise to the level of the altercation between Rudy Gobert and Kyle Anderson but Bones Hyland shoved Mason Plumlee during the Clippers’ game against Phoenix on Sunday.
Plumlee and Hyland got into an argument after the third quarter, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. The Clippers defeated the Suns 119-114 and coach Tyronn Lue made light of the situation afterward.
“After that little skirmish we took off and played a lot better. So maybe we should do that more often,” he said.
Plumlee told Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link) that he was frustrated because the team hadn’t matched up properly on a couple of defensive possessions near the end of the quarter. Plumlee also said he and Hyland had “moved on” from the incident.
Lue, whose team will face Phoenix in the first round of the playoffs, also said everything was fine between them afterward.
“They worked it out,” he said. “That’s OK. Everything’s good.”
Both players were acquired during the trade deadline and have been part of the rotation in recent weeks. Plumlee will be a free agent after the season, while Hyland is on a rookie contract that runs through 2024/25.
Central Notes: Pistons, Williams, Holiday, Antetokounmpo
Pistons general manager Troy Weaver is expected to talk to two former Thunder assistant coaches he worked with in Oklahoma City — the Bulls’ Josh Longstaff and the Nets’ Brian Keefe — for Detroit’s head coaching job, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.
Dwane Casey announced after the Pistons’ season finale that he would be moving to the front office.
Bucks assistant Charles Lee, former Celtics head coach Ime Udoka, Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin, Heat assistant Chris Quinn and Vanderbilt coach Jerry Stackhouse have already been mentioned as potential targets for the Pistons’ job.
Former Overtime Elite coach Kevin Ollie, Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney, Pistons assistant Rex Kalamian and former Villanova coach Jay Wright are some other potential candidates that may intrigue Weaver, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic speculates.
We have more from the Central Division:
- Bulls big men Patrick Williams and Nikola Vucevic did something that has become an increasing rarity in the league. They appeared in all 82 regular season contests. Williams, who was injured most of last season, said he takes pride in being available, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago writes. “It’s a blessing to play all 82,” Williams said. “It was something that I definitely wanted to do and something I want to continue to do throughout the course of my career.”
- Bucks guard Jrue Holiday achieved all of his regular season bonuses, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets. He earned a total of $1.65MM for reaching incentives in minutes played, games played, rebounds and assists, as well as making the All-Star team. He still has a chance make an additional $4.1MM in bonuses, ranging from making the All-Defensive team to postseason team success, Marks adds.
- While team goals means more to him, Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo believes he deserves the Most Valuable Player award, he told Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report. “Look, I will never try to create a narrative about the work I put in and maybe that might hurt me because I believe the last five years I’ve been the MVP,” he said. “Do I want a third MVP? Hell (bleeping) yeah I want a third one. I am extremely competitive. I try to make my team successful. …. I’m never going to be one who discredits anybody else’s work. That’s not who I am as a person. And I will never beg for an MVP award that I believe I deserve.”
Checking In On NBA’s 2023 Lottery Standings, Projected Draft Order
The 2022/23 NBA regular season is officially over, but the draft order for June 22 has not yet been set.
A handful of factors, including the play-in results, random tiebreakers, and – of course – the lottery results themselves will ultimately determine what the 58(*) picks in the 2023 NBA draft look like. But with the season in the books, there’s plenty we do know.
(* Note: The Sixers’ second-round pick and the Nuggets’ second-round pick, which was acquired by the Bulls, are forfeited due to free agency gun-jumping violations.)
Let’s dive in and check in on a few key aspects of the lottery standings and projected draft order…
Tentative lottery standings/odds
So far, only 10 of the 14 teams involved in the draft lottery are known — the four teams eliminated in the play-in tournament will join them.
With the help of data from Tankathon, here’s a tentative breakdown at what the lottery odds would look like if the play-in favorites (the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds) advance through the tournament and secure playoff spots:
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DET | 14 | 13.4 | 12.7 | 12 | 47.9 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| HOU | 14 | 13.4 | 12.7 | 12 | 27.8 | 20 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| SAS | 14 | 13.4 | 12.7 | 12 | 14.8 | 26 | 7 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| CHA | 12.5 | 12.2 | 11.9 | 11.5 | 7.2 | 25.7 | 16.7 | 2.2 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| POR | 10.5 | 10.5 | 10.6 | 10.5 | 2.2 | 19.6 | 26.7 | 8.7 | 0.6 | – | – | – | – | – |
| ORL | 9 | 9.2 | 9.4 | 9.6 | – | 8.6 | 29.8 | 20.6 | 3.7 | 0.1 | – | – | – | – |
| WSH | 6.8 | 7.1 | 7.5 | 7.9 | – | – | 19.7 | 35.6 | 12.9 | 1.4 | >0 | – | – | – |
| IND | 6.7 | 7.0 | 7.4 | 7.8 | – | – | – | 32.9 | 31.1 | 6.6 | 0.4 | >0 | – | – |
| UTH | 4.5 | 4.8 | 5.2 | 5.7 | – | – | – | – | 50.7 | 25.9 | 3 | 0.1 | >0 | – |
| DAL | 3 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 4 | – | – | – | – | – | 65.9 | 19 | 1.2 | >0 | >0 |
| OKC* | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 2.5 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 77.6 | 13.5 | 0.4 | >0 |
| CHI* | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 2.4 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 85.2 | 6.7 | 0.1 |
| TOR* | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.4 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 92.9 | 3.3 |
| NOP* | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 97.6 |
(* Asterisks denote play-in teams)
Three sets of teams finished with matching records: the Rockets and Spurs, the Wizards and Pacers, and the Thunder and Bulls. Random tiebreakers will be completed to determine their exact lottery positioning, so their lottery odds, in italics, are just tentative so far. If the Spurs were to win their tiebreaker with the Rockets, for example, the two teams would be flipped in the chart above.
Depending on which play-in teams make the playoffs, more tiebreakers could determine the last four spots of the lottery seeding, For instance, the Raptors and Hawks have identical records, as do the Timberwolves and Pelicans. If either of those pairs of teams lose in the play-in and end up in the lottery, tiebreakers will determine their exact spot in the lottery standings.
The different colors in the chart above reflect that those teams could lose their picks. The Mavericks‘ first-round pick will be sent to the Knicks if it lands outside the top 10 (20.2%), whereas Dallas would keep it if it stays in the top 10 (79.8%).
The Bulls‘ pick is top-four protected, so if Chicago misses the playoffs, then gets some lottery-night luck and moves into the top four, they’ll keep it (either 8.1% or 8.5%, depending on the tiebreaker). Otherwise, the Magic will receive it (91.5% or 91.9%).
The play-in factor
The teams eliminated in this week’s play-in tournament will end up in the lottery, sorted by record (worst to best), while the teams that earn playoff spots won’t pick earlier than No. 15. Here are the eight play-in teams:
- Chicago Bulls (40-42)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (40-42)
- Toronto Raptors (41-41)
- Atlanta Hawks (41-41)
- New Orleans Pelicans (42-40)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (42-40)
- Los Angeles Lakers (43-39)
- Miami Heat (44-38)
Based on their 44-38 record, the Heat could end up with a pick as low as No. 20 in the first round of the draft (depending on tiebreaker results). However, if they lose two play-in games this week and don’t make the playoffs at all, they’d hold the No. 14 spot in the lottery instead.
The Bulls and Thunder finished with matching 40-42 records, while the Raptors and Hawks were each 41-41 and the Pelicans and Timberwolves were both 42-40, so if both teams in any of those pairs are eliminated in the play-in tournament, a tiebreaker will be required to determine their spots in the lottery standings.
If, for example, Atlanta makes the playoffs and Toronto doesn’t, no tiebreaker would be necessary, since the Raptors would be in the lottery and the Hawks wouldn’t.
The tiebreakers
Many tiebreakers will be required to determine either lottery positioning or a team’s specific draft pick. Here are all the teams that finished with identical records, creating a situation where a random tiebreaker will (or may) be required:
- Houston Rockets / San Antonio Spurs (22-60)
- Indiana Pacers / Washington Wizards (35-37)
- Chicago Bulls / Oklahoma City Thunder (40-42)
- Note: A tiebreaker would not be required if one team makes the playoffs and the other doesn’t.
- Note: The Bulls’ pick will be sent to the Magic if it lands outside of the top four.
- Atlanta Hawks / Toronto Raptors (41-41)
- Note: A tiebreaker would not be required if one team makes the playoffs and the other doesn’t.
- Note: The Nets’ pick will be sent to the Rockets; the Cavaliers’ pick will be sent to the Pacers if it lands outside of the top 14.
- Minnesota Timberwolves / New Orleans Pelicans (42-40)
- Note: A tiebreaker would not be required if one team makes the playoffs and the other doesn’t.
- Note: The Timberwolves’ pick will be sent to the Jazz; the Pelicans will have the ability to swap their pick with the Lakers’ pick.
- Golden State Warriors / Los Angeles Clippers / Miami Heat (44-38)
- Note: The Heat would not be involved in this tiebreaker if they don’t make the playoffs.
- Note: The Clippers’ pick will be sent to the Rockets.
- Brooklyn Nets / Phoenix Suns (45-37)
- Note: The Suns’ pick will be sent to the Nets.
- Cleveland Cavaliers / Memphis Grizzlies (51-31)
- Note: The Cavaliers’ pick will be sent to the Pacers.
The playoff teams that win the tiebreakers will get the higher pick in the first round and the lower pick in the second round. For instance, if the Warriors win their three-way tiebreaker and the Heat are the runner-up in that tiebreaker, the first-round order would be Golden State at No. 18, Miami at No. 19, and the Clippers at No. 20; the second-round order would be L.A. at No. 48, Miami at No. 49, and Golden State at No. 50.
However, the second-round order for tied lottery teams isn’t determined until lottery night. For example, if Indiana wins its tiebreaker with Washington, but the Wizards win the No. 1 pick in the lottery, the Pacers would receive the higher second-round pick, since they’d have the lower first-round pick despite winning the tiebreaker.
This is especially relevant for the Spurs/Rockets tiebreaker, since Houston’s second-round pick will be traded to a different team depending on whether it lands at No. 32 (the Pacers) or No. 33 (the Celtics). The results of that tiebreaker won’t determine which team gets Houston’s second-rounder — that won’t be officially decided until lottery night.
These tiebreakers will be conducted sometime after the playoff field is set. Last year, they were held eight days after the regular season ended.
The traded first-round picks
Here’s a breakdown of the traded first-round picks for the 2023 NBA draft:
Picks that will change hands:
- Jazz acquiring Timberwolves‘ pick.
- If the Timberwolves secure a playoff spot via the play-in tournament, this pick will land in the 16-18 range. If the Timberwolves don’t make the playoffs, it will move into the lottery.
- Rockets acquiring Clippers‘ pick via swap rights (with Bucks pick).
- The Rockets will swap the Bucks’ pick (No. 30) for the Clippers’ pick, which will land in the 18-20 range, depending on the tiebreaker results. The Clippers will receive the Bucks’ pick as part of the swap.
- Nets acquiring Suns‘ pick.
- This pick will land at either No. 21 or No. 22, depending on the tiebreaker results.
- Trail Blazers acquiring Knicks‘ pick (top-14 protected).
- This pick will be No. 23.
- Pacers acquiring Cavaliers‘ pick (top-14 protected).
- This pick will land at either No. 25 or No. 26, depending on the tiebreaker results.
- Hornets acquiring Nuggets‘ pick (top-14 protected).
- This pick will be No. 27.
- Jazz acquiring Sixers‘ pick.
- This pick will be No. 28.
- Pacers acquiring Celtics‘ pick (top-12 protected).
- This pick will be No. 29.
Picks that won’t change hands:
- Knicks acquiring Pistons‘ pick (top-18 protected).
- This pick can’t end up lower than No. 5, so it will fall in its protected range. The Pistons will instead owe the Knicks their 2024 first-round pick (top-18 protected).
- Spurs acquiring Hornets‘ pick (top-16 protected).
- This pick can’t end up lower than No. 8, so it will fall in its protected range. The Hornets will instead owe the Spurs their 2024 first-round pick (top-14 protected).
- Bulls acquiring Trail Blazers‘ pick (top-14 protected).
- This pick can’t end up lower than No. 9, so it will fall in its protected range. The Trail Blazers will instead owe the Bulls their 2024 first-round pick (top-14 protected).
- Knicks acquiring Wizards‘ pick (top-14 protected).
- This pick can’t end up lower than No. 12, so it will fall in its protected range. The Wizards will instead owe the Knicks their 2024 first-round pick (top-12 protected).
Picks that might change hands:
- Knicks acquiring Mavericks‘ pick (top-10 protected).
- There’s a 79.8% chance that this pick will land in the top 10, in which case it would be kept by the Mavericks. There’s a 20.2% chance it will land in the 11-14 range, in which case the Knicks would receive it.
- Magic acquiring Bulls‘ pick (top-four protected).
- Depending on the tiebreaker, there’s an 8.1-8.5% that this pick will land in the top four, in which case it would be kept by the Bulls. There’s a 91.5-91.9% chance it will land in the 11-14 range, in which case the Magic would receive it.
- Pelicans acquiring Lakers‘ pick via swap rights.
- If the Pelicans secure a playoff spot via the play-in tournament and the Lakers don’t, they’ll exercise their swap option. If both teams make or miss the playoffs, the Pelicans’ pick will be more favorable than the Lakers’ pick, so New Orleans won’t need to swap.
Western Notes: Gobert, Anderson, Irving, Doncic, Dunn
The confrontation between the Timberwolves’ Rudy Gobert and Kyle Anderson got physical when Anderson profanely told Gobert to shut up during a timeout, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. The argument began with Anderson telling Gobert to block some shots and Gobert replying that Anderson should grab some rebounds.
The duo also had a heated verbal exchange in the locker room at halftime, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Timberwolves guard Mike Conley played a crucial role in calming things down and getting the team refocused.
After being told to leave the building, Gobert sent an apologetic text message to his Timberwolves teammates in a group chat, ESPN’s Andrew Lopez tweets. Anderson said he’ll talk things over with Gobert. “We’ll speak about it and move on. We’re grown men,” Anderson said.
We have more from the Western Conference:
- Kyrie Irving is headed to unrestricted free agency. What are his plans? He kept that to himself after the Mavericks’ disappointing season ended on Sunday. He declined to speak to the media, the only Dallas player to do so, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon tweets.
- As for the Mavericks’ franchise player, he provided some comforting words to the team’s fans. Luka Doncic says he’s happy where he is, MacMahon adds in another tweet, an indication that he won’t be asking for a trade any time soon. “I’m happy here, so there’s nothing to worry (about),” Doncic said.
- Kris Dunn gave the Jazz a boost in the second half of the season and looks poised to help the team next season as well, Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune opines. Dunn showed improved scoring form, compared to his previous NBA stops, and he remains a quality defender. Dunn signed a multiyear deal with Utah last month, though his veteran’s minimum deal for next season isn’t guaranteed until October 23. Dunn had 26 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists against the Lakers on Sunday.
NBA’s Play-In Field, Top-Six Playoff Seeds Set
The NBA wrapped up its 2022/23 regular season on Sunday, and the teams and seeds for this year’s play-in tournament have been set. Here are the play-in matchups:
Eastern Conference
Tuesday, April 11
- Game 1: Atlanta Hawks (8) at Miami Heat (7), 7:30pm ET
- Winner secures No. 7 seed; loser plays on Friday.
Wednesday, April 12
- Game 2: Chicago Bulls (10) at Toronto Raptors (9), 7:00pm ET
- Winner plays on Friday; loser is eliminated.
Friday, April 14
- Winner of Game 2 at Loser of Game 1, 7:00 or 7:30pm ET
- Winner secures No. 8 seed; loser is eliminated.
Western Conference
Tuesday, April 11
- Game 1: Minnesota Timberwolves (8) at Los Angeles Lakers (7), 10:00pm ET
- Winner secures No. 7 seed; loser plays on Friday.
Wednesday, April 12
- Game 2: Oklahoma City Thunder (10) at New Orleans Pelicans (9), 9:30pm ET
- Winner plays on Friday; loser is eliminated.
Friday, April 14
- Winner of Game 2 at Loser of Game 1, 9:30 pm or 10:00pm ET
- Winner secures No. 8 seed; loser is eliminated.
Once the Nos. 7 and 8 seeds in each conference are set later this week, the eight first-round matchups will be finalized. Those first-round series will tip off on April 15 and 16.
Here are the top six seeds in each conference, along with the matchups that are locked in so far (and Game 1 info, per the NBA):
Eastern Conference
- Milwaukee Bucks (1) vs. No. 8 seed (play-in) ^
- Boston Celtics (2) vs. No. 7 seed (play-in) *
- Philadelphia 76ers (3) vs. Brooklyn Nets (6) *
- Cleveland Cavaliers (4) vs. New York Knicks (5) *
* Series begins on April 15.
^ Series begins on April 16.
Western Conference
- Denver Nuggets (1) vs. No. 8 seed (play-in) ^
- Memphis Grizzlies (2) vs. No. 7 seed (play-in) ^
- Sacramento Kings (3) vs. Golden State Warriors (6) *
- Phoenix Suns (4) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (5) ^
* Series begins on April 15.
^ Series begins on April 16.
Rudy Gobert Punches Kyle Anderson; McDaniels Fractures Hand
5:23pm: McDaniels has a fractured hand, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
Minnesota’s President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly, addressing the Gobert situation, didn’t specify whether he would take further action against Gobert, Wojnarowski tweets: “We made the decision to send Rudy Gobert home after the incident in the second quarter. His behavior on the bench was unacceptable and we will continue handling the situation internally.”
4:23pm: Rudy Gobert was sent home by the Timberwolves after he punched teammate Kyle Anderson during a timeout on Sunday afternoon, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
In a video posted by Backcourt Alerts (Twitter link), Gobert and Anderson could be seen standing up and arguing with each other. Gobert lurched forward and took a swing at Anderson, hitting him in the chest. Anderson then had to be restrained from retaliating.
Minnesota is in the midst of a pivotal game against New Orleans. The Timberwolves could be seeded anywhere from seventh to ninth in the Western Conference play-in tournament, depending on the outcome of that game and the Lakers’ game against Utah.
Interestingly and somewhat ironically, Gobert commented about Anderson’s leadership skills to Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune (Twitter link) on Saturday.
“Kyle wants to win and sometimes he’s a little aggressive in the way he talks, but I don’t take it personally,” Gobert said a day ago. “I receive it in a positive way because it comes from a place of wanting me to be the best Rudy I can be and wanting us to win. I love his competitiveness, love the way he plays the game.”
In a separate development, forward Jaden McDaniels left the game with a right hand injury, the team’s PR department tweets. McDaniels apparently suffered the injury when he punched a wall while exiting the court, Pelicans Film Room tweets.
It’s obviously an ominous way for Minnesota to enter the play-in tournament for the second straight season. It remains to be seen whether Gobert will draw a team suspension for his actions, which would put it at a disadvantage up front. Minnesota’s key frontcourt reserve, Naz Reid, underwent wrist surgery on Wednesday.
Mavs Rumors: Harrison, Wood, Irving, First-Round Pick
Despite the Mavericks‘ disappointing season, it sounds like both head coach Jason Kidd and general manager Nico Harrison will remain with the team for 2023/24.
Team owner Mark Cuban said earlier this week that the Mavs intend to bring back Kidd for a third season. As for Harrison, league sources tell Marc Stein (Substack link) that Cuban is pleased with the work that the longtime Nike executive has done since transitioning to a front office role. While the Mavs have faced criticism for a handful of roster moves – including losing Jalen Brunson and Kyrie Irving – Stein suggests that Harrison doesn’t need to worry about his job security at this point.
Here’s more on the Mavs from Stein:
- Stein’s “up-to-the-minute sense” is that the Mavericks won’t attempt to re-sign big man Christian Wood in free agency this offseason. Noting that Dallas intends to make some roster changes over the summer, Stein identifies JaVale McGee and Tim Hardaway Jr. as two veterans who could find themselves back on the trade block.
- There’s “considerable skepticism” around the NBA that the Mavs will take a hard-line stance and insist on a short-term deal in their negotiations with Kyrie Irving, according to Stein, who says early rumblings suggest the team may offer a three- or four-year contract to the star guard.
- If the Mavericks retain their 2023 first-rounder (which they owe to New York with top-10 protection), they’re expected to explore their trade options with that pick, sources tell Stein. A loss to San Antonio today would ensure Dallas has nearly an 80% chance to hang onto that pick — those odds could climb even higher if Utah wins and Dallas loses today.
Draft Notes: McCullar, Cook, Clingan, Early Entrants
Kansas guard Kevin McCullar announced this week that he’ll enter his name in the 2023 NBA draft pool while maintaining his NCAA eligibility, as Michael Swain of Phog.net writes.
McCullar, who played his first three college seasons at Texas Tech before transferring to the Jayhawks, averaged 10.7 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.4 APG, and 2.0 SPG in 34 games (30.6 MPG) as a senior in 2022/23, earning spots on the All-Big 12 third team and the conference’s All-Defensive squad.
McCullar has one year of college eligibility left due to COVID-19, but is a candidate to be drafted in 2023 if he decides to go pro. He currently ranks 59th overall on ESPN’s big board.
Here are a few more draft-related updates:
- Junior guard Jalen Cook, who intended to declare for the draft coming off his second consecutive All-AAC season at Tulane, has decided to transfer back to LSU, where he began his college career, tweets Jonathan Givony of ESPN. It sounds like Cook intends to use at least one more season of college eligibility rather than going pro this year.
- After winning a national championship with UConn as a freshman, center Donovan Clingan will remain at school rather than going pro, he announced on Twitter. Clingan’s numbers as a reserve in 2022/23 were modest (6.9 PPG and 5.6 RPG in 13.1 MPG), but Jeff Goodman of Stadium (Twitter link) said multiple NBA evaluators believe the big man would’ve been selected in the 25-40 range if he’d entered the draft.
- The following players have declared for the 2023 NBA draft and will test the waters as early entrants:
- Austin Crowley, G, Southern Mississippi (senior) (Twitter link)
- Jalen Hill, F, Oklahoma (senior) (Instagram link)
- Romain Parmentelot, G, France (born 2004) (Twitter link via Fusion Sports)
- Mark Sears, G, Alabama (junior) (Twitter link)