Atlantic Notes: Scariolo, Bridges, Knicks, Cassell
Sergio Scariolo, the head coach of Virtus Bologna in Italy, has interviewed for the Raptors’ head coaching opening a second time, according to Repubblica-Bologna (hat tip to BasketNews.com). The interview reportedly took place via Skype on Monday.
Scariolo has a contract with Virtus until the end of the 2023/24 season. He initially interviewed with the Raptors in Italy last month. He was an assistant with the Raptors for three seasons and is also the head coach of the Spanish national team.
We have more from the Atlantic Division:
- In response to a fan’s proposal of trading Mikal Bridges to the Trail Blazers for Anfernee Simons or Shaedon Sharpe and the No. 3 overall pick, Alex Schiffer of The Athletic said the Nets aren’t interested in dealing the top player they received in Kevin Durant blockbuster with Phoenix. Schiffer notes the Nets turned down a proposal of four first-rounders from the Grizzlies for Bridges. If they considered trading Bridges, they’d want more than two assets for him, especially since they owe their 2024 first-round pick to Houston.
- Jalen Brunson turned into a star after signing with the Knicks, justifying his four-year, $104MM contract. Now the Knicks need to pursue another star, Fred Katz of The Athletic argues. Brunson can thrive in any system, so the Knicks can cast a wide net and they have enough quality young players and extra draft picks to dangle in trade talks for an All-Star talent.
- The Sixers are losing top assistant Sam Cassell to the Celtics and it’s a big blow, Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com writes. Cassell was the only member of his coaching staff to sit in for coaching meetings on offense and defense. He was also instrumental in player development and was a highly respected leader.
Celtics Notes: Cassell, Lee, Mazzulla, Brown
Sam Cassell was the perfect choice to fill the role of lead assistant to Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, writes Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Cassell held the same position on Doc Rivers’ staff with the Sixers and was universally liked throughout the organization, Weiss adds.
After losing Damon Stoudamire to Georgia Tech in March, Boston needed an ex-player on its bench who could relate to the team’s stars as well as those who rarely play, Weiss notes. He states that Cassell was responsible for keeping James Harden focused in Philadelphia and helped to develop Tyrese Maxey.
The Celtics have a lot of open spots to fill on the coaching staff, especially if Ben Sullivan, Mike Moser, Garrett Jackson and possibly Aaron Miles are joining Ime Udoka in Houston, as rumored. Weiss suggests that Boston might consider other Sixers coaches such as Dave Joerger, Dan Burke and Jamie Young, who spent several years with the Celtics as an assistant to Rivers and Brad Stevens, along with Jerome Allen, who coached under Dwane Casey with the Pistons.
There’s more from Boston:
- Charles Lee, who was one of the finalists for Detroit’s head coaching job, is under consideration to join the Celtics as an assistant, tweets Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. However, Lee “remains involved in several situations,” Fischer adds.
- Former Celtics boss and current Jazz CEO Danny Ainge is a strong supporter of Mazzulla after watching his first year as a head coach, per Dan Shaughnessy of The Boston Globe. Ainge says the players never quit on Mazzulla, despite accusations after Game 3 of the conference finals, and he adapted and learned as he made his way through the playoffs. “You see Joe’s toughness and stubbornness,” Ainge said. “He’s a relentless worker. He has a passion to learn. Joe is a leader, and I think this was a difficult situation with the high expectations the team had coming in. I don’t think there’s anybody there that doesn’t believe that Joe is better than Ime (Udoka) as a coach.”
- Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com talks to several rival executives and coaches who believe the Celtics should keep Jaylen Brown and re-sign Grant Williams. “I hear fans up there are debating whether to give Brown the super-max, but at some point the numbers don’t really matter,” one general manager said. “First of all, the guy is one of the better players in the league. Start there. I know people are all upset about his last game, and sure he was bad, but that was a team-wide collapse. Just take a step back and look at where he is and what he can do. The guy can play.”
Sam Cassell To Join Joe Mazzulla’s Staff
Sam Cassell is joining the Celtics as an assistant coach under Joe Mazzulla, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
The longtime NBA guard spent the past three seasons as a lead assistant for the Sixers under Doc Rivers.
Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens ended speculation after the Eastern Conference Finals when he stated that Mazzulla would remain the head coach. However, changes were anticipated to surround Mazzulla with more experienced staff.
Cassell interviewed with the Rockets this spring for the head coaching job that went to Ime Udoka. Temple University was said to be interested in hiring Cassell as its head coach in March, but he decided to stay in the NBA. He also interviewed last year for the Jazz head coaching job.
Before his stint in Philadelphia, Cassell served as an assistant with the Wizards and Clippers. He has a history in Boston, as he was on the Celtics’ roster in 2008 when they won the championship during the twilight of his playing career.
Sixers Dismiss Head Coach Doc Rivers
10:51am: The Sixers have issued a press release confirming the dismissal of Rivers.
“Doc is one of the most successful coaches in NBA history, a future Hall of Famer, and someone I respect immensely,” Morey said in a statement. “We’re grateful for all he did in his three seasons here and thank him for the important impact he made on our franchise. After having the chance to reflect upon our season, we decided that certain changes are necessary to further our goals of competing for a championship.””
10:16am: The Sixers are parting ways with head coach Doc Rivers, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
Rivers’ hold on his job was considered shaky after Philadelphia lost Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals to Boston on Sunday. A tight game at halftime turned into a blowout Celtics victory after Boston outscored the 76ers by a 33-10 margin in the third quarter.
The loss resulted in the Sixers’ third consecutive second-round playoff exit since Rivers was hired in 2020. During that time, the veteran coach led the club to a 154-82 (.653) regular season record but failed to make a deep playoff run. Philadelphia was eliminated by Atlanta in 2021 and Miami in 2022, losing the final game of the series at home in both instances.
Rivers is one of several accomplished head coaches to be let go this spring, joining recent champions and/or Coaches of the Year like Mike Budenholzer, Monty Williams, and Nick Nurse.
As Bobby Marks of ESPN observes (via Twitter), Phoenix, Milwaukee, and Philadelphia lead the NBA in regular season victories since the start of the 2020/21 season, but all three clubs are making head coaching changes this offseason following disappointing postseason showings.
Previous reporting from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype indicated that Williams, Nurse, and Mike D’Antoni would likely be candidates to replace Rivers if the Sixers were to make a change. Wojnarowski confirms those names and adds a few more to Philadelphia’s list of potential candidates, tweeting that Budenholzer, Sam Cassell, and Frank Vogel are also expected to factor into the team’s search.
Of those six candidates, only Cassell – who is an assistant on Philadelphia’s staff – lacks head coaching experience. D’Antoni, Williams, Vogel are all former Sixers assistants, while D’Antoni has a long-standing relationship with president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, having coached the Rockets during Morey’s time in Houston.
The decision to dismiss Rivers is the first one in a big offseason for the Sixers. While MVP center Joel Embiid is on a long-term contract, his co-star James Harden will reach free agency if he turns down his 2023/24 player option and has been repeatedly linked to the Rockets. Harden offered Rivers a very lukewarm endorsement following Sunday’s loss, so it’s possible the 10-time All-Star will be more inclined to remain in Philadelphia under a new head coach.
As for Rivers, it’s unclear at this point whether he’ll immediately emerge as a candidate to take over as the head coach for another NBA team. There are four clubs besides the Sixers with head coaching vacancies: Milwaukee, Phoenix, Toronto, and Detroit.
Latest On Rockets’ Head Coaching Search
The Rockets, who kicked off their head coaching search very early in the offseason, are progressing toward a second round of interviews with some of their candidates, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). According to Wojnarowski, Frank Vogel and Ime Udoka are expected be involved in that second round, which will also see newly available Nick Nurse be introduced to the process.
While Wojnarowski suggests a second round of interviews is around the corner, it doesn’t appear the Rockets have completed their first round yet.
According to Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link), Sixers assistant Sam Cassell – whose candidacy was previously reported – will interview with Houston on Sunday. Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle says that the club also still plans to meet with Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson in the coming days.
Both Cassell and Atkinson are employed by teams that are competing in the first round of the playoffs, so I imagine it’s more logistically challenging for the Rockets to schedule interviews with those candidates than the ones who are between jobs.
Here’s more on the Rockets’ coaching search:
- In addition to Vogel and Udoka, the Rockets have also completed their initial interviews with James Borrego, Adrian Griffin, and Kevin Young, Feigen confirms. Adding Cassell, Atkinson, and Nurse to that group would give Houston a total of eight candidates, which was the number initially reported at the time the team parted ways with Stephen Silas.
- Iko and Eric Koreen of The Athletic teamed up to take a closer look at Nurse’s style of coaching, to break down his performance with the Raptors, and to consider how he might fit with the Rockets.
- The Rockets are overdue to get a head coaching hire right, Jerome Solomon writes in a column for The Houston Chronicle, arguing that the franchise hasn’t hit a home run on that front since bringing in Rudy Tomjanovich way back in 1992.
Rockets To Interview Sam Cassell For Head Coaching Job
The Rockets have been granted permission to interview Sixers assistant coach Sam Cassell for their head coaching vacancy, a person with knowledge of the situation tells Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscriber link).
The Rockets and Cassell are still working on scheduling the interview, according to Feigen. Houston began its search for a new lead coach this week after declining to pick up its option on the fourth year of Stephen Silas‘ contract.
A former NBA player, Cassell was a one-time All-Star point guard and won three championships — including two with Houston — during his 16-year career (he was technically still active in 2008/09, though he didn’t appear in a game). He spent his first three seasons with the Rockets from 1993-96.
This is Cassell’s 14th season as an assistant coach and third with Philadelphia, having made previous stops with the Wizards and Clippers. He has worked under Doc Rivers for the past nine years.
The Rockets reportedly intend to look at about eight or nine candidates for the job, and many of them have already been identified. Cassell was not previously mentioned.
Feigen reports that the Rockets don’t plan to hire anyone before they interview all of the targets on their initial list. He writes that list could expand should other candidates become available — Raptors coach Nick Nurse has been mentioned multiple times as a possible target.
Former Lakers coach Frank Vogel has already interviewed for the job, and so has former Celtics coach Ime Udoka, per Feigen. The Rockets have also been granted permission to interview Suns assistant Kevin Young, Feigen adds — it was previously reported that they were still trying to secure permission.
Atlantic Notes: Harden, Cassell, Bridges, R. Williams
Sixers guard James Harden sat out tonight’s game due to Achilles soreness, but it doesn’t appear to be a long-term issue, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN. Coach Doc Rivers said Harden has been dealing with the discomfort for a while, and the team decided it would be best to give him a night off. He added that Harden was feeling pain in his left foot after playing 46 minutes in Monday’s double-overtime game.
“No concerns,” Rivers told reporters. “It just flared up a couple times and we decided instead of doing the back-and-forth, the dance, let’s just sit him down, get him rest and make sure he’s right.”
Collier notes that the only two previous games Harden has missed since the All-Star break were on the second night of back-to-backs. He is still managing a tendon strain in his right foot that he suffered in early November, which kept him out of action for about a month, tweets Sixers reporter Derek Bodner.
“Especially going into the playoffs, you just want guys to be right,” Rivers added. “No reason to take any chances.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Assistant coach Sam Cassell has decided to remain with the Sixers rather than pursue a head coaching job at Temple, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. A source confirms to Pompey that the university reached out to Cassell about the opening. Former NBA player Aaron McKie resigned as the Owls’ head coach last week.
- Mikal Bridges is validating the Nets‘ decision to turn down trade offers after acquiring him in the Kevin Durant deal, states Dan Devine of Yahoo Sports. The Grizzlies reportedly offered a package of four first-round picks, but Brooklyn preferred to see what Bridges could do if given a starring role in the offense. He has averaged 25.4 PPG in 17 games since joining the Nets, easily outpacing his best seasons in Phoenix. “You saw the days where (Devin) Booker was out and he was the primary scorer, we saw how he adjusted and really flourished in that role,” Nets coach Jacque Vaughn said. “So we put the ball in his hands. We’ll continue to do so.”
- The Celtics were happy to welcome back Robert Williams in Tuesday’s win at Sacramento, per Souichi Terada of MassLive. Boston’s starting center was back on the court after missing the past eight games with a hamstring injury. “Obviously we’re a lot bigger when he’s out there,” Jayson Tatum said. “It just makes us much more dynamic, I felt like. His presence. Even if he’s not blocking shots, maybe he’s turning people away from attacking the basket. He’s grabbing rebounds. Giving us second or third opportunities. Obviously a lob threat.”
Sixers Notes: Embiid, Harden, Tucker, Cassell
Sixers center Joel Embiid is continuing the scoring binge that has made him the new betting favorite in the MVP race, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. After posting 15 points in the first half of Saturday’s win at Indiana, Embiid dominated the third quarter with 16 points while making 5-of-7 shots from the field.
The 31-point outing was Embiid’s ninth consecutive game with at least 30 points, breaking the franchise record he shared with Allen Iverson and Wilt Chamberlain. It also earned him the support of Pacers coach Rick Carlisle in the MVP debate.
“Embiid, right now, he’s probably the MVP with what their team is doing and how he’s elevated his game,” Carlisle said. “He’s as difficult a guy to game plan for as there is in the game. He’s a walking NBA cheat code right now. He’s just that good.”
There’s more from Philadelphia:
- The Sixers transformed from underachievers to potential title winners when James Harden returned in early December after missing 14 games with a strained foot tendon, Pompey observes in another Inquirer article. Philadelphia has the best record in the league since Harden’s second game back, and Pompey credits that to the guard’s decision to facilitate the offense rather than look for his shot. It has also coincided with Embiid’s ascension into MVP front-runner. “Obviously, Joel is going to do what he does,” Harden said. “Making sure Tobias (Harris) and Tyrese (Maxey) and Georges (Niang) and our shooters get their shots. You get that feeling from everybody and everybody clicking like that, which is why rhythm (is) going to be key for us in the playoffs.”
- P.J. Tucker sat out Saturday’s game with an ankle issue and wasn’t able to participate in this morning’s shootaround, Pompey tweets. He’s listed as questionable for tonight’s game against Chicago.
- Temple University has expressed interest in hiring Sixers assistant Sam Cassell as its head coach, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Cassell, who has been with the organization since 2020, is focused on his current duties with the team rather than looking for another job, according to Scotto’s sources. Scotto notes that Cassell has worked closely with Maxey since he arrived in Philadelphia.
Jazz To Interview Sam Cassell For Head Coaching Job
The Jazz‘s list of candidates for their head coaching vacancy continues to grow, with Shams Charania and Tony Jones of The Athletic reporting (via Twitter) that the team will interview Sixers assistant Sam Cassell for the position.
As Charania points out, Jazz CEO Danny Ainge has some history with Cassell, who played for the Celtics team that won a championship in 2008. Ainge, of course, was Boston’s head of basketball operations at the time.
That title season was Cassell’s final one as a player. He joined the Wizards as an assistant coach from 2009-14, was an assistant for the Clippers under Doc Rivers from 2014-20, and is now once again an assistant under Rivers in Philadelphia.
Cassell hasn’t been linked to any other head coaching jobs this offseason, but has drawn interest as a candidate in past years. In 2021, for instance, he reportedly interviewed with the Celtics and Wizards before they hired Ime Udoka and Wes Unseld Jr., respectively.
As our head coaching search tracker shows, Cassell is the 15th candidate linked to the Jazz, who are casting an extremely wide net as they seek a replacement for Quin Snyder.
COVID-19 Updates: Wizards, Trail Blazers, Heat, Rockets, Sixers, I. Thomas, More
The league continues to be battered by players entering and exiting the health and safety protocols. If any of the players entering the protocols registered a confirmed positive COVID-19 test, they’ll remain sidelined for at least six days or until they can return two consecutive negative tests at least 24 hours apart.
Here are the latest updates from around the NBA:
- Bradley Beal, Anthony Gill, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope have exited the protocols and are active Thursday night for the Wizards, but Spencer Dinwiddie has entered the protocols, as reported by Shams Charania and Josh Robbins of The Athletic, Ava Wallace of The Washington Post, and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (all four Twitter links).
- Anfernee Simons and Brandon Williams have entered the protocols for the Trail Blazers, while Dennis Smith Jr. and Ben McLemore have exited and rejoined the team, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links).
- The Heat‘s outbreak continues, as Duncan Robinson and Marcus Garrett have entered the protocols, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press tweets.
- DeJon Jarreau has entered the protocols for the Rockets, as reported by Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
- Shake Milton has exited the protocols and is active Thursday night for the Sixers, according to Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). Head coach Doc Rivers isn’t the only coach affected, as “several coaches,” including Sam Cassell and Brian Adams, are also in the protocols, Tim Bontemps of ESPN tweets.
- Others entering protocols: Isaiah Thomas, who just signed a 10-day contract with the Mavericks Wednesday, Ivica Zubac of the Clippers, and Xavier Tillman of the Grizzlies, per the three teams’ PR departments (all Twitter links).
- Others exiting protocols: Trevor Ariza for the Lakers, Lou Williams for the Hawks, and Ed Davis for the Cavaliers, according to Kyle Goon of the Southern California News Group (via Twitter), and Chris Kirschner and Kelsey Russo of The Athletic (Twitter links). Neemias Queta has cleared the protocols for the Kings, a source tells Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee (via Twitter). Nets center Day’Ron Sharpe has also exited the protocols, Brian Lewis of The New York Post tweets.