Silver Tells GMs NBA Intends To Enact Anti-Tanking Rules
Commissioner Adam Silver told all 30 of the NBA’s general managers on Thursday that the league intends to enact rule changes to combat tanking ahead of the 2026/27 season, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.
According to Charania, Silver was said to be “forceful” about his desire to resolve the issue, which he addressed at his All-Star press conference. Silver said during that media session that the league is considering “every possibly remedy” to reduce the practice of tanking.
Sam Amick of The Athletic confirms Charania’s report, and hears from a person with knowledge of the meeting that a consensus among those involved — Silver, members of the league office and the GMs — was reached that tanking “threatens the integrity and long-term viability” of the NBA. The GMs also agreed that changes to the current system need to be made.
“We’re all to blame,” one GM said, per Amick.
Mike Krzyzewski, who is now a member of the league office (his title is special adviser to basketball operations), praised the GMs for “acknowledging the issue and attacking it,” according to Amick, who notes that the former Duke head coach is often present for GM and competition committee meetings. Charania hears Krzyzewski also told the GMs to prepare for the rule changes, which will reportedly be in place for next season.
The league already flattened the draft lottery odds in 2019, Amick observes, but that hasn’t prevented teams from trying to jockey for position at the bottom of the standings, particularly when there’s a draft class that’s viewed as particularly strong (like this year).
According to Charania, the league and its teams have discussed the following possible rule changes during January’s competition committee meeting and Thursday’s GM call:
- Restricting teams from including protections between top-four and top-14-plus on traded first-round picks.
- Prohibiting teams from having top-four picks in consecutive years and/or after consecutive bottom-three finishes.
- Barring teams from selecting in the top four if they make the conference finals the previous year.
- Freezing lottery odds at the trade deadline or an unspecified “later date.”
- Flattened odds for all lottery teams.
- Lottery odds being allocated based on two-year records.
- Lottery extended to include all eight play-in teams (instead of the four who don’t make the playoffs).
Sam Quinn of CBS Sports explains (via Twitter) why he thinks all of those proposed changes are flawed.
International Notes: P. Gasol, Bogut, Nunn, Shorts, Biberovic
Former NBA stars Pau Gasol and Andrew Bogut were welcomed into the FIBA Hall of Fame Saturday night in Bahrain, according to Eurohoops. In addition to their NBA accomplishments, both players had extensive experience in international competitions, with Gasol being Spain’s all-time scoring leader in EuroBasket and Bogut representing Australia in three Summer Olympics.
Gasol, who was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2023, used his speech to reflect on his time with the Spanish national team and share memories of former Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant.
“None was more important than my brother, Kobe,” Gasol told the crowd. “Our connection went far beyond that. He was unique. He challenged me to leave it all on the court every day to make us NBA champions. I’ll never forget how he welcomed me onto the team. We built something special. It wasn’t easy. Trust, accountability, unwavering commitment, and pure determination. I miss him and (his daughter) Gigi terribly.”
Other notable members of this year’s class include former Duke and Team USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski, three-time gold medalist Dawn Staley and WNBA career assists leader Ticha Penicheiro of Portugal.
There’s more international news to pass along:
- Kendrick Nunn is mulling over offers to represent Greece or Turkey at this year’s EuroBasket tournament, according to George Adamopolous of EuroHoops. The former NBA guard, who plays for Panathinaikos in Greece, is the reigning EuroLeague MVP. “There were offers that came on the table to play either for the Greek national team or the Turkish national team,” Nunn said. “It’s still in the air. I haven’t made a decision yet to be honest. I still have time.”
- T.J. Shorts, who has received interest from the Grizzlies, has earned back-to-back MVP honors in the French League, per EuroHoops. The Paris Basketball point guard averaged 16.9 points and 8.0 assists per game in his first season in the league, shooting 59.1% from the field and 38.7% from three-point range. Shorts, 27, will be a free agent this summer.
- Fenerbahce swingman Tarik Biberovic, whose rights are controlled by the Grizzlies, is pondering a move to the NBA and is getting encouragement from teammate Marko Guduric, EuroHoops relays in another piece. “If I’m Fener, I’m obviously trying to keep Tarik,” Guduric said, “but for him, personally, it’s going to be his decision and of his family, whatever is best for them. I told him, if there is an opportunity, maybe you should try.”
Lakers To Meet With Dan Hurley On Friday
UConn coach Dan Hurley is traveling to California to meet with Lakers leadership – including team owner Jeanie Buss and head of basketball operations Rob Pelinka – on Friday, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports that the team is “eager to close” on a deal that would make Hurley its next head coach.
After initially reporting early on Thursday morning that the Lakers have prioritized Hurley in their head coaching search, Wojnarowski says the team’s pursuit of the two-time national champion has “accelerated.” Sources tell ESPN that the two sides have already talked about what a potential deal would look like — Woj notes that it would be “significant” in terms of both years and salary.
Hurley let UConn administrators know on Wednesday and told his players on Thursday that he was exploring his options with the Lakers. While he hasn’t made any decisions yet, there’s “momentum” in his talks with the Lakers, sources tell Wojnarowski.
Woj stated during a TV appearance on Thursday (Twitter video link) that he expects resolution on the Hurley front within the next few days – perhaps by the end of the weekend or early next week – since the coach won’t want to leave the Huskies hanging for too long.
We have more on Hurley and Lakers after passing along several Hurley-related notes this afternoon:
- The Lakers’ interest in Hurley wasn’t just kept secret from the public until Thursday morning — many people within the organization weren’t even aware of that interest, writes Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Hurley’s name began coming up in internal conversations about head coaching candidates last week, but he seemed like a long shot at that time, Buha adds.
- Buha describes Hurley as a legitimate candidate for the Lakers’ job and perhaps the favorite over J.J. Redick, who was considered the frontrunner as recently as Wednesday. However, sources tell The Athletic that the search is “far from settled” and that Redick is still a very viable candidate.
- Longtime Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski has advised the Lakers during their coaching search, and his connection to Redick (a former Blue Devil) was believed to be a major consideration for Los Angeles. However, as Buha observes, Krzyzewski also coached Hurley’s brother Bobby and has a strong relationship with the UConn head coach. Krzyzewski’s belief in Hurley is one of the factors that has convinced the Lakers to aggressively pursue him, Buha writes.
- Wojnarowski said during a TV appearance on Thursday that he believes the Lakers would be “far more likely” to draft LeBron James‘ son Bronny James if they end up hiring Hurley. “When you talk about LeBron James and the impact this has for him, I think this is the first significant action the Lakers have taken to show you they are actually very serious about drafting Bronny James at 55,” Wojnarowski said (YouTube link). “Because they do see Dan Hurley as the perfect coach to guide his development.”
- Veteran columnist Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times, who previously argued against the idea of the Lakers hiring Redick as their head coach, strongly endorsed Hurley for the job, referring to it as a “no-brainer.”
Lakers Zeroing In On Redick For Head Coaching Job
J.J. Redick has emerged as the clear frontrunner for the Lakers’ head coaching job, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports.
No final decision has been made yet, and the Lakers still have steps remaining in their head-coaching search process, Charania continues. But all indications are that Redick is their top choice at this stage.
The Lakers’ search has been focused on two candidates — Redick and Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego — in recent weeks. Redick was the first candidate to have a face-to-face meeting with the Lakers three weeks ago, and Borrego did an in-person interview with Lakers officials for a second time last week.
Redick is serving as a color commentator for the NBA Finals on ABC/ESPN, which is why many people around the league believe that an announcement won’t take place until after the series.
Darvin Ham was fired after the season after only two years at the helm. The Lakers are seeking a coach who will have a longer shelf life, one who will command the locker room and hold players accountable. They are also seeking an expert game planner who can provide a level of structure and organization and the Lakers believe Redick checks all those boxes. As he previously stated, Charania adds that Lakers officials are “infatuated” with Redick and his potential as a coach.
The Lakers have consulted during the process with longtime Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, who coached Redick from 2002-06.
Sam Cassell Among Lakers’ Head Coaching Candidates
Celtics assistant Sam Cassell is among the candidates to become the Lakers‘ next head coach, according to Shams Charania and Jovan Buha of The Athletic, who describe Cassell, James Borrego, and J.J. Redick as the team’s “initial leading targets.” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Monday that Borrego and Redick are “names to watch” in Los Angeles’ head coaching search.
A former All-Star and three-time champion as an NBA player, Cassell transitioned to coaching in 2009. He spent five seasons as an assistant with the Wizards before spending the next decade coaching under Doc Rivers, including stints with the Clippers from 2014-20 and the Sixers from 2020-23. He was hired by the Celtics as Joe Mazzulla‘s lead assistant last spring.
According to reports from both Charania and Buha at The Athletic and Wojnarowski and Dave McMenamin of ESPN, the Lakers’ initial round of head coaching interviews is expected to focus on candidates the franchise doesn’t know as well and hasn’t previously vetted. After speaking to those candidates, the Lakers will move on to talking to the ones they’re more familiar with before eventually narrowing the full group down to a smaller pool of finalists, per ESPN.
In addition to Borrego, Redick, and Cassell, potential candidates like David Adelman, Kenny Atkinson, Micah Nori, Chris Quinn, and Sean Sweeney have been linked to the Lakers. Here’s more on the search:
- Sources tell Charania and Buha that the Lakers are seeking a coach who can command the locker room and hold players accountable. Their ideal candidate would also “tirelessly game-plan and provide a level of structure and organization,” according to The Athletic. Wojnarowski and McMenamin add that the term “grinder” keeps coming up in Rob Pelinka‘s conversations with people around the league about what he’s looking for.
- While the Lakers are hoping to have LeBron James around for at least one or two more seasons, they’re “placing a premium” on finding a head coach who can maximize Anthony Davis‘ talents, per Charania and Buha. “This should be more of a hire about AD than LeBron,” one source told The Athletic.
- Longtime Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski is serving as a useful “unofficial resource” for the Lakers during their search process, multiple sources tell The Athletic. Krzyzewski has a level of familiarity with a number of the candidates L.A. is considering, including former Blue Devils sharpshooter Redick.
Mike Krzyzewski Joins NBA League Office
The NBA has added former Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski to its league office, announcing today in a press release that Krzyzewski has been hired as a special adviser to basketball operations (Twitter link).
In his new position in the league office, Krzyzewski will “provide counsel to the league office, NBA team executives, and other leaders across the league on a host of issues related to the game,” the league said in today’s announcement. He’ll be in attendance when the NBA’s general managers meet next week in Chicago.
An inductee into both the College Basketball Hall of Fame and the Basketball Hall of Fame, Krzyzewski coached the men’s basketball team at Duke from 1980 to 2022. He won five national championships during that time, with the latest coming in 2015. The Blue Devils made the Final Four during Krzyzewski’s final season in 2022.
Krzyzewski also spent time as the head coach of Team USA’s men’s basketball squad, winning Olympic gold medals in Beijing in 2008, London in 2012, and Rio De Janeiro in 2016.
Krzyzewski received a good deal of interest from NBA teams over the years, but always opted to remain at Duke. He’ll finally make the move to the NBA now, at age 76, but in the role of a league executive rather than the head coach of a franchise.
“This is a tremendous opportunity to deepen my connection to the NBA and participate in conversations about further strengthening the league and the game,” he said in a statement. “Even in my retirement from coaching, my passion for the sport has never been higher. This role will enable me to stay engaged with basketball at the highest level.”
And-Ones: Coach K, Fan Conduct, Williams-Goss, Coaching Candidates
Longtime Duke University head coach Mike Krzyzewski has decided to retire following the upcoming 2021/2022 college basketball season, reports Jeff Goodman of Stadium (via Twitter). Coach K has helmed the Duke program since 1980, and has been key in ushering in the era of one-and-done college players and collegiate recruiting battles.
During his tenure as head coach, Krzyzewski led the team to five national titles and 12 Final Fours, and with two potential top freshman on next year’s roster in Paolo Banchero and AJ Griffin, he will look to end his storied career with one final title run.
Goodman also reports that assistant coach Jon Scheyer is the leading candidate to replace Krzyzewski. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski confirms (via Twitter) that Scheyer is considered Duke’s coach-in-waiting.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- As fan-related incidents continue to occur around the league, the NBA has instituted new measures in an attempt to prevent fan misconduct, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. These policies include: encouraging teams/arenas to pursue legal recourse against such actions, enhanced security, and a “code of conduct” message to be broadcast multiple times throughout the game.
- Former Jazz point guard Nigel Williams-Goss has agreed to a two-year deal with Real Madrid, per Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The 6’2″ point guard played 15 games for PBC Lokomotiv Kuban in Russia this season, averaging 17 points and 5.9 assists while shooting 46% from three.
- Although the Celtics are the only team with a head coach vacancy so far this summer, there are plenty of enticing first-time head coach options available, writes Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN. Among them: Patrick Ewing, Chauncey Billups, Will Weaver, and Darko Rajakovic. Arnovitz uses present success stories to detail what front offices are looking for in a first time head coach and what attributes can make them successful.
- Now that the first season of the Basketball Africa League has ended and Egypt’s Zamalek has been crowned champions, the league is looking ahead and planning its 2022 season, writes Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. “The biggest triumph? Maybe it was just making it to reality,” BAL President Amadou Fall said, regarding the first season of the new league. “Just a long time coming and just being the culmination of many decades of work and engagement by the NBA across the continent, committed to growing the game. And now, it has established a complete pathway for basketball development from grassroots to elites and just league.” Those in and around the league are hoping that as the BAL grows, it will attract more and more viewers and participants from around the country. Though none of the players this season are expected to draw attention from NBA teams, Fall expects that to change soon. “This is the first time that this league is here,” Zamalek’s Walter Hodge said upon receiving the Hakeem Olajuwon MVP award. “And it’s going to be here for a long time.”
And-Ones: FIBA, Turkey, Coach K, NBA Transactions
FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 will be held that summer from August 25 to September 10, according to a FIBA press release. The group phase of World Cup 2023 will be played in Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines, with the final phase taking place in the Philippine capital city of Manila. It will be the first time the competition has been staged in more than one country. Spain defeated Argentina in the finals of last year’s Cup, which was held in China.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- Turkey became the latest country to cancel the remainder of its basketball season. Former NBA player Hedo Turkoglu, the basketball federation’s president, officially announced the cancellation of BSL and TBL seasons, according to Alessandro Maggi of Sportando.
- Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski turned down numerous offers over the years to become an NBA coach, Sportando’s Nicola Lupo relays. In an interview on WIP radio, the Duke coach said he turned down the Sixers job in 2003, the Celtics in 1990 and the Lakers in 2005.
- The Warriors’ signing of Kevin Durant, the Spurs’ draft-night acquisition on Kawhi Leonard and the Rockets’ trade for James Harden rank as the biggest and best transactions over the past decade, according to ESPN Insiders. A list of 74 major moves was compiled by ESPN’s NBA experts.
Knicks Notes: Ntilikina, Kanter, De La Rosa
In the wake of Frank Ntilikina‘s impressive performance in France’s World Cup upset of Team USA, a series of New York beat writers and columnists are making the case that Ntilikina – the subject of trade rumors earlier this year – has earned a longer look from the Knicks this season.
Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News argues that the Knicks should exercise Ntilikina’s $6.2MM team option for the 2020/21 season (a decision is due on October 31) and give him a real chance to earn a role for this year’s squad. One scout suggests to Ian Begley of SNY.tv that Ntilikina is playing in the World Cup with a poise and confidence that he hasn’t showed yet in the NBA — if that confidence carries over training camp, it could bode well for his future in New York.
Meanwhile, Frank Isola of The Athletic writes that Knicks president Steve Mills hasn’t given up on Ntilikina despite the fact that the club has brought in several other point guards to compete for minutes. Elfrid Payton and other previous backcourt additions like Trey Burke are considered “[Scott] Perry guys,” says Isola, referring to New York’s general manager.
As we wait to see what the Knicks’ plan for Ntilikina is, let’s round up a few more notes on the team:
- The differing opinions on Ntilikina within the Knicks’ organization aren’t unusual, given the organization’s current management structure, says Isola. League sources tell The Athletic that some of the scouts and executives brought in by Perry have clashed with the scouts and executives who worked under Mills and remain in the organization. “That’s always been the case,” a former Knicks exec tells Isola. “They keep a lot of people from different regimes and that causes some friction.”
- After suggesting earlier this week that the Knicks’ ownership group is a deterrent for the team’s potential free agent targets, Enes Kanter clarified that he personally had a positive experience with James Dolan and doesn’t agree with players who avoid the team for that reason, tweets Begley.
- Former Illinois big man Adonis De La Rosa is among the players working out with the Knicks this week in the hopes of securing a training camp invite from the team, a source tells Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
- Knicks head coach David Fizdale issued an invite to Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski to make an appearance at the team’s training camp this fall, according to Adam Zagoria of Forbes. Coach K isn’t sure whether or not he’ll be able to attend, but said he expects former Blue Devil RJ Barrett to make a smooth transition to playing in New York.
And-Ones: Age Limit, Watson, Loyd, Overseas Signings
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski is calling on the NCAA to develop a plan in response to the NBA’s expected rule change that would lower the draft eligibility age from 19 to 18, relays Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. The NBA has submitted a proposal to its players union that would make the change effective in 2022.
“The NCAA is not prepared right now,” Krzyzewski said. “They need to be in concert with the NBA in developing a plan that is specific for men’s college basketball. And that should include what an athlete gets, how he’s been taken care of, whether or not there’s a re-entry if something – really, it’s deep. And if we only look at it shallow, then we’re doing a disservice to the kids. And that’s why I would hope that the NCAA has someone leading this to figure it all out.”
Krzyzewski asked whether the G League would start attracting blue-chip players and providing more competition for college basketball and how the NCAA will adapt once the one-and-done rule is gone. Michigan State’s Tom Izzo shared some of the same concerns and worried that too many players will be pressured to turn pro before they’re ready.
There’s more NBA-related news to pass along:
- Former Suns coach Earl Watson has interviewed for the head coaching position at UCLA, tweets Jordan Schultz of ESPN. A former Bruins player, Watson was fired by Phoenix three games into last season. Schultz reports that longtime college and NBA coach Larry Brown would join Watson as a top assistant.
- Jordan Loyd is this year’s 2 Ways & 10 Days pick for NBA G League MVP, writes Adam Johnson. He’s the second straight player from the Raptors 905 to claim the honor, following Lorenzo Brown‘s MVP season in 2017/18. Loyd is playing on a two-way contract and has appeared in 10 games at the NBA level.
- Three players with NBA ties have signed contracts overseas. Hollis Thompson, who played four NBA seasons and was with the Pelicans two years ago, is joining Crailsheim Merlins in Germany, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Xavier Rathan-Mayes, who appeared in five games for the Grizzlies late last season, has signed with Bnei Herzelia in Israel, tweets Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports. Brad Newly, whose rights are owned by the Lakers, has signed with Sydney in Australia, Smith adds (Twitter link). Newly was drafted in 2007, but has never played in the NBA.