Dwane Casey To Transition To Pistons’ Front Office
Dwane Casey will still be part of the Pistons‘ organization next season, but the team will be in the market for a new head coach this spring.
Following Detroit’s regular season finale on Sunday, Casey told reporters – including Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link) – that he’s transitioning from the Pistons’ bench to a front office role.
“(Team owner) Tom (Gores) is giving me an opportunity to move into the front office,” Casey said, per James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link). “I’m excited to go to the next phase of my life. Time to spend more time with my family. This team is on the right track. They probably need to hear a new voice. This is my decision.”
Casey joined the Pistons in 2018, fresh off earning Coach of the Year honors in Toronto. He was let go by the Raptors due to the club’s disappointing postseason results. In Detroit, Casey led the team to a playoff berth in his first season, but was swept out of the first round and didn’t make it back in any of his four subsequent seasons as the Pistons embarked on a rebuild.
In total, Casey led the Pistons to 121-263 (.315) record across five seasons. Speaking to reporters today, he said that – while he’s not running away from his win-loss record – he hopes his legacy in Detroit is more about the growth of the team’s current young core than the underwhelming results on the court (Twitter link via Edwards).
Bucks assistant Charles Lee and former Celtics head coach Ime Udoka are expected to be among the candidates to replace Casey on the sidelines in Detroit, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link) confirms those names and adds a couple more, identifying Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin and Heat assistant Chris Quinn as possibilities.
Edwards and Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link) suggest that former Pistons star Jerry Stackhouse, who is now the head coach at Vanderbilt, could also be an intriguing target, though it’s unclear if that’s just speculation or if he’s actually on Detroit’s wish list.
The Pistons will join the Rockets as the first two teams launching head coaching searches this spring.
Trail Blazers Sign Skylar Mays, Chance Comanche
The Trail Blazers have signed a pair of players ahead of Sunday’s regular season finale, announcing that they’ve brought back guard Skylar Mays (Twitter link) and added center Chance Comanche (press release).
The Blazers have a full roster, but they’re dealing with so many injuries that they’ve been granted three hardship exceptions — those exceptions allow the team to sign players to short-term deals without having to adhere to the usual roster limits.
Portland had been carrying Mays, Shaquille Harrison, and Justin Minaya on 10-day hardship contracts. Mays’ and Harrison’s deals expired overnight on Saturday, while Minaya’s runs through Sunday. The team re-signed Mays, but Harrison has joined the Lakers, so the Blazers used their third hardship exception to promote Comanche from the G League.
Mays, a 2020 second-round pick who spent his first two NBA seasons in Atlanta, averaged 14.2 points, 7.6 assists, and 3.0 rebounds in 29.6 minutes per night during his first five games (all starts) as a Blazer.
Comanche, who will turn 27 on Friday, was a rotation player for the Stockton Kings, Sacramento’s G League affiliate, this season. The former Arizona Wildcat appeared in 32 regular season games and averaging 13.0 PPG, 7.9 RPG, and 1.6 BPG in just 22.9 MPG.
Since they’re on hardship contracts, Mays, Comanche, and Minaya will all become free agents after today’s game and the Blazers won’t hold any form of Bird rights on them this summer. Portland is now carrying 20 players, with at least nine of them ruled out for Sunday’s game vs. Golden State due to injuries.
Lakers Sign Tristan Thompson, Shaquille Harrison
12:45pm: The Lakers have officially signed Thompson and Harrison while waiving Reed, the team confirmed in a press release.
10:43am: The Lakers are making a pair of roster additions to fortify their depth ahead of the postseason, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, who reports (via Twitter) that center Tristan Thompson and guard Shaquille Harrison are joining the team.
Los Angeles had an open spot on its 15-man standard roster, so only one cut will be necessary to make room for the two incoming veterans. Davon Reed will be the odd man out and will be placed on waivers today, per McMenamin.
Thompson, 32, has been out of the NBA for the entire 2022/23 season but worked out for the Lakers last month and played alongside Lakers star LeBron James for several years in Cleveland.
The big man averaged 6.0 points and 5.1 rebounds in 57 games (15.7 MPG) for the Kings, Pacers, and Bulls last season and has career averages of 9.0 PPG and 8.4 RPG in 730 games. Thompson also has no shortage of postseason experience, having appeared in 88 career playoff contests for the Cavaliers, Celtics, and Bulls.
Harrison has made 180 regular season appearances for six NBA teams since making his debut in 2018. Like Thompson, the 29-year-old guard hasn’t been in the league for most of this season, though he did play five games while on a 10-day contract with the Trail Blazers. That deal expired overnight on Saturday, freeing him up to join a new team.
Harrison was actually in training camp with the Lakers last fall, but was cut at the end of the preseason and ended up playing for the South Bay Lakers, L.A.’s G League affiliate. Known as a stout perimeter defender, he finished third in NBAGL Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Reed, who will turn 28 in June, joined the Lakers along with Mohamed Bamba as part of the four-team February trade that sent Thomas Bryant to Denver. He never cracked L.A.’s regular rotation though, logging just 27 total minutes across eight games with his new team. His minimum salary for 2023/24 is fully non-guaranteed, so the Lakers won’t be on the hook for any money for him beyond this season.
Both Thompson and Harrison will be eligible to play in the postseason for the Lakers because neither one has been waived since March 1.
Pelicans Re-Sign Dereon Seabron To Two-Way Contract
Just three days after waiving rookie shooting guard Dereon Seabron, the Pelicans have re-signed him to a new two-way contract, the team announced today in a press release.
The move is an unusual one, since Seabron had already been on a two-way deal. It’s possible his new contract covers the 2023/24 season instead of just the rest of this season like his old one did — we’ll have to wait for confirmation on the details to be sure.
Seabron signed with the Pelicans last summer after going undrafted out of North Carolina State. He appeared briefly in just five games at the NBA level, but was a regular for the Birmingham Squadron, New Orleans’ G League affiliate.
Seabron played in 17 Showcase Cup games in the fall, averaging 14.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists with a .484/.227/.729 shooting line in 32.3 minutes per night. He bumped his scoring average to 18.4 PPG on .503/.375/.778 shooting in 27 G League regular season appearances, adding 5.5 APG and 5.0 RPG in 34.5 MPG.
The Pelicans, one of two teams that entered Sunday with an open two-way slot, now have a full 17-man roster as they prepare for a crucial regular season finale.
Rockets Sign Willie Cauley-Stein
The Rockets have officially signed free agent center Willie Cauley-Stein, the team announced today (via Twitter).
Houston’s announcement doesn’t include any details on Cauley-Stein’s contract, so it’s unclear if it extends beyond this season at all or if it’s essentially just a one-day deal.
Cauley-Stein and the Rockets agreed to a one-year contract last offseason, but the big man’s salary was non-guaranteed and he was waived at the end of the preseason. He later rejoined the team on a 10-day deal near the end of February but has been an NBA free agent since that contract expired.
Cauley-Stein spent much of the season with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston’s G League affiliate. In 13 NBAGL regular season games, he averaged 8.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 27.0 minutes per night. He also contributed 6.0 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 2.4 APG, and 1.0 BPG in 16 Showcase Cup contests (24.2 MPG).
The sixth overall pick in the 2015 draft, Cauley-Stein has appeared in 422 total regular season games for the Kings, Mavericks, Warriors, and Sixers, but is a borderline NBA player at this point, as his game isn’t an ideal fit for the league’s current style.
The Rockets were one of three NBA teams that entered Sunday with an open 15-man roster spot, so no one needed to be waived in order to make room for Cauley-Stein.
Knicks Sign Isaiah Roby To Multiyear Deal
11:05am: The Knicks have officially signed Roby, the team confirmed in a press release (Twitter link).
9:32am: Roby is getting $400K for the last day of the 2022/23 season, reports Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link). If he had received a minimum-salary deal, Roby would have been paid just $10,932 for the day, but New York was able to give him significantly more than that using a leftover portion of the team’s room exception.
Roby’s minimum salary for next season will be non-guaranteed, Katz adds.
8:40am: The Knicks have agreed to sign forward/center Isaiah Roby to a contract that covers the rest of the season and runs through 2023/24, agents Zach Kurtin and Mark Bartelstein tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
Wojnarowski reports that the deal includes “significant” guaranteed money. It’s unclear whether that money will apply to this season’s cap hit (using the remainder of New York’s room exception) or if a portion of Roby’s ’23/24 salary will be guaranteed.
Roby, 25, spent most of the season with the Spurs after being claimed off waivers from the Thunder last summer. He was released just over a month ago when San Antonio needed a roster spot to accommodate its addition of Sandro Mamukelashvili.
In 42 games (11.3 MPG) this season as a Spur, Roby averaged 4.1 points and 2.5 rebounds per night, with a shooting line of .432/.300/.488. He was more effective in 2021/22 in Oklahoma City, averaging 10.1 PPG and 4.8 RPG on .514/.444/.672 shooting in 45 appearances (21.1 MPG) for the Thunder.
As we noted earlier today, the Knicks entered Sunday as one of three teams with a 15-man roster spot open, so no corresponding move will be necessary to make room for Roby. The Lakers and Rockets are the other two teams that still have openings on their standard rosters.
Because Roby was waived on March 3, he won’t be eligible to participate in the playoffs this spring.
Grizzlies Notes: Adams’ Absence, Jackson, Williams, Morant
Now that they know they can’t count on having Steven Adams back for the playoffs, the Grizzlies must embrace the new identity they’ve been establishing without Adams – and his offensive rebounding and screen setting – available, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.
As Cole outlines, that means Jaren Jackson Jr. may face more challenging defensive assignments in the postseason and that everyone will have to help out on the glass, including guards Ja Morant and Desmond Bane.
Cole also suggests that the Grizzlies should look to take advantage of the added versatility of their Adams-less lineups, since having David Roddy, Xavier Tillman, or Santi Aldama on the court makes the team more switchable on defense.
Here’s more on the Grizzlies:
- Jackson believes he should win this season’s Defensive Player of the Year award, telling Tim MacMahon of ESPN that he wants it “bad.” However, while Jackson’s ability to protect the rim and anchor the Grizzlies’ defense was his greatest asset during the regular season, his scoring on offense might ultimately determine how high the team’s ceiling is this spring, according to MacMahon, who notes that the big man averaged 22.7 points per game on 51.1% shooting in the nine games Morant missed in March.
- Writing for the Commercial Appeal, Cole looks back at the Grizzlies’ decision to select Ziaire Williams at No. 10 in the 2021 draft. Williams spent much of the 2022/23 season playing in the G League and battling injuries. Meanwhile, Trey Murphy – whom the Pelicans selected with the No. 17 pick they received from Memphis in the trade that also included the No. 10 pick, Adams, and Jonas Valanciunas – has enjoyed a breakout year in New Orleans, averaging 20.4 points per game on .506/.453/.903 shooting in his last 18 games.
- In an exclusive report, Gus Garcia-Roberts and Molly Hensley-Clancy of The Washington Post provide more details on the off-court incidents that Morant was involved in during the past year and suggest that local police didn’t investigate those incidents as thoroughly as they could have. The Post’s duo identified and interviewed the teenager who was punched by the Grizzlies guard in a pickup game and spoke to a shoe salesman at a Memphis mall who said he was shaken up after allegedly being threatened by Morant.
What To Watch For On Final Day Of Regular Season
Sunday represents the 174th and final day of the NBA’s 2022/23 regular season, with all 30 teams in action at either 12:00 pm Central time (1:00 pm ET) or 2:30 CT (3:30 ET).
Not all of today’s games are must-see matchups, but there’s plenty at stake on Sunday, including several of the postseason seeds in the Western Conference.
Here’s what to watch for on the final day of the ’22/23 regular season:
Western Conference playoff seeding
The Nuggets (No. 1), Grizzlies (No. 2), Kings (No. 3), Suns (No. 4), and Thunder (No. 10) have locked in their seeds in the West, but none of those teams know which opponent they’ll be facing in the first round of the playoffs — or in the first round of the play-in tournament, in OKC’s case.
The results of four games today will determine which clubs end up holding the Nos. 5-9 seeds in the West. Those games are as follows:
- New Orleans Pelicans at Minnesota Timberwolves
- Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Lakers
- Golden State Warriors at Portland Trail Blazers
- Los Angeles Clippers at Phoenix Suns
There are 16 different combinations of potential winners in those four contests, so we won’t run through every single scenario, but they can all be found right here. Here are a few details, in simplified terms:
- The Clippers, Warriors, and Lakers currently rank fifth, sixth, and seventh, respectively, and would hold those spots if all three teams win today. The Clippers can’t fall further than No. 7, while Golden State and the Lakers could end up as low as No. 8.
- The loser of the Pelicans/Timberwolves game will be the No. 9 seed. New Orleans could move as high as No. 5 with a win in that game, while Minnesota would slide up to No. 7 or No. 8 with a victory.
- The Lakers will be the No. 8 seed if they lose to Utah. If they win, they’ll mostly likely end up at No. 6 or No. 7, though there’s one scenario where they could defeat the Jazz and still drop to No. 8 (if the Pelicans, Warriors, and Suns all win).
The Suns will be resting most of their key players, including Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, and Deandre Ayton, on Sunday, so it would be a surprise if the Clippers lose that one, even though the game is in Phoenix. A Clippers win would lock the team into a first-round matchup against the Suns, which isn’t the most desirable outcome, but the Clips would risk slipping into play-in range with a loss, so they can’t get too clever.
Similarly, with the Blazers in all-out tank mode, it’s hard to imagine the Warriors losing that game in Portland, since doing so could result in a slide to No. 7 or No. 8.
It’s worth noting that all four of these games tip off at 2:30 pm CT, so no teams will take the floor knowing any outcomes of the other three games.
Draft and lottery positioning
There are several draft-related storylines worth monitoring today. Here are a few of the most important ones:
The Mavericks’ top-10 protected pick
With a loss on Sunday, the Mavericks would secure, at worst, the NBA’s 10th-worst record, giving them nearly an 80% chance to keep the top-10 protected first-round pick they owe the Knicks.
If the Jazz win and the Mavericks lose, the two teams would finish in a tie for the ninth-worst record and Dallas’ odds of keeping its first-rounder could increase significantly. If the Mavs were to win a coin-flip tiebreaker in that scenario, they’d have nearly a 97% chance to keep their pick.
On the other hand, a win today might put Dallas in a tie with the Thunder or Bulls for the league’s 10th-worst record and could significantly reduce the Mavs’ odds of hanging onto that first-rounder, depending on the results of the tiebreaker.
The fifth lottery spot
A loss today would assure the Trail Blazers of having the fifth-best odds in the lottery. That would give them a 10.5% shot at the No. 1 overall pick and a 42.1% chance to move into the top four.
A win could move Portland into a tie with the Magic and/or Pacers, potentially reducing those odds to 9.0% and 37.2%, respectively.
The Rockets’ second-round pick
The Pacers and Celtics will be keeping a close on the Rockets and Spurs today. As we previously outlined, Indiana will get Houston’s second-round pick if it’s at No. 32, while Boston will get it if it’s No. 33.
A Houston win and a San Antonio loss today would ensure that pick moves to No. 33; a Houston loss and a San Antonio win would lock it in at No. 32.
If both teams win or lose, that pick would be TBD. Where it lands would hinge on the results of a coin-flip tiebreaker and May’s draft lottery (if the two teams are tied, whichever one gets the lower pick in round one gets the higher pick in round two).
The Pelicans’ swap rights
The Pelicans have the right to swap first-round picks with the Lakers. Heading into today’s games, the two teams have identical 42-39 records.
However, even if the Pelicans win and the Lakers lose, New Orleans won’t necessarily end up using its swap rights — if the Lakers were to make the playoffs via the play-in tournament and the Pelicans lose in the play-in, New Orleans’ pick would be the higher one, regardless of regular season record.
Teams with open roster spots
The Jazz and Nets filled their open roster spots on Saturday, while the Grizzlies also made a series of roster moves in preparation for the playoffs. That leaves just five teams with open roster spots heading into Sunday. Those clubs are as follows:
Open 15-man roster spot:
- Houston Rockets
- Los Angeles Lakers
- New York Knicks
Open two-way slot:
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Phoenix Suns
It would be a surprise if the Rockets, Lakers, and Knicks don’t fill their roster openings today. There’s essentially no downside to signing a player to a multiyear contract that only includes one day’s worth of guaranteed money, with a team option or non-guaranteed salary for 2023/24.
The Pelicans and Suns could also make two-way signings today, though that’s a little less likely, since it’s harder to convince free agents to sign two-year two-way contracts, and those players won’t be eligible for the postseason.
It’s also worth noting that two of the Trail Blazers‘ hardship 10-day contracts (for Skylar Mays and Shaquille Harrison) expired overnight on Saturday, so if they want to bring those players back for their regular season finale, they’ll need to re-sign them on Sunday.
L.A. Notes: Playoff Race, George, Lakers’ Depth, Roster Spot
The Clippers kept the inside track on the fifth seed in the West, but they had to rally past a depleted Trail Blazers team on Saturday, writes Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. Coach Tyronn Lue admits there was “a lot of cussing” in his halftime speech as L.A. entered the locker room trailing by six after surrendering 70 first half points to a Portland squad that was missing most of its rotation players.
“We gotta be more professional with our approach, and we all realized that wasn’t our greatest first half,” Lue said. “We didn’t play the right way and we just can’t do that. And so they understood; that’s why they came out in the third quarter and played the way they did.”
The Clippers have control over their playoff destiny and can wrap up the No. 5 slot by beating Phoenix on Sunday. However, that would guarantee a first-round series against the Suns, who are undefeated with Kevin Durant in the lineup. Losing to Phoenix would carry an element of risk, as L.A. could still fall into the play-in tournament. Lue assured reporters that his plan is to play to win.
“I mean if you don’t treat the game right, basketball gods will make you pay for it,” Lue said.
There’s more from Los Angeles:
- Paul George is working out again, but he doesn’t appear close to returning from the sprained right knee that has sidelined him since March 21, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Clippers officials said George didn’t suffer any damage to significant ligaments, but he had to keep the knee immobilized for a long time to promote healing.
- In Friday’s win over Phoenix, the Lakers‘ reserves showed they can carry the team if LeBron James and Anthony Davis are having off nights, per Elliott Teaford of The Orange County Register. D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves and Malik Beasley combined for 67 points as L.A. displayed depth that it didn’t have before the trade deadline and kept its hopes alive for a top-six finish. “It’s huge for those guys to be able to carry the load and make some shots and have their own different segments during the game,” coach Darvin Ham said. “Huge, man. The more pressure we can take off Bron and AD to have to go out and save the day or make every play, the better. When they can just play manageable minutes and those other guys step up and play well, it just makes us that much more dangerous. And it saves some gas for our two big dogs.”
- The Lakers still have an open roster spot, and Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report expects them to fill it Sunday, likely with a multiyear contract that is non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed for next season (Twitter link).
Northwest Notes: Malone, Watson, Edwards, Billups
The Nuggets have clinched the top seed in the West, but coach Michael Malone isn’t happy about the way his team is ending the regular season, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post. Even though there was little at stake, Malone used his regular starting lineup for Saturday’s game at Utah. They saw regular minutes for three quarters before the reserves took over in the final frame of a 118-114 loss. Malone was visibly upset after watching his team give up 59 rebounds and get dominated inside.
“Maybe I’m just wired a little differently, man, I’m (ticked) off right now,” Malone said in his postgame press conference. “… The moment you think that losing is OK, it’s just another game, that starts to seep into who you are, the essence of who you are. And I heard a long time ago, there’s two types of people, those who like to win and those who hate to lose.”
Malone added that he hasn’t determined who will play in Sunday’s regular season finale. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray were both productive despite recent minor injuries, and Aaron Gordon said it’s important for all the regulars to stay active with the playoffs approaching.
“It’s not so much about motivation,” Gordon said. “It’s more about continuing to build good habits. If you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse.”
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Peyton Watson has been a late-season bright spot for the Nuggets, and some of the league’s best players are noticing, Singer adds in another Denver Post story. Kevin Durant praised the rookie guard, whom he worked out with during the pandemic. “Just liked the type of dude he is, man, and we just built the friendship since there,” Durant said. “I’m rooting for him. He has a bright future.”
- Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards feels like he’s getting back to normal after dealing with a sprained right ankle and an illness that affected most of the team, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. Edwards scored 33 points in Saturday’s win over the Spurs, and he hopes it will lead to better things in the postseason. “I feel like I’m back to myself, the young guy in the locker room who bring all the energy,” Edwards said. “… I mean, it was a little frustrating, for real, because I couldn’t play how I wanted to play. I wasn’t having the best games. I wasn’t feeling like myself out there. It was just something I had to go through.”
- Coach Chauncey Billups would like to see the Trail Blazers add more size and experience this offseason, tweets Mark Medina of NBA.com. “We’re one of the youngest teams in the league,” Billups said. “It’s tough to win that way. It’s almost impossible to win that way.”