Olympic Notes: Durant, Kerr, Boylen, Canada
Kevin Durant‘s status for Team USA’s first Olympic game will be a group decision, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN. A strained right calf prevented Durant from playing in any of the team’s exhibition contests, but he was able to practice on Wednesday, and his agent, Rich Kleiman, told Windhorst that Durant felt good enough to play in the last two games in London.
“It’s not just our training staff, but [USA Basketball managing director Grant Hill] is constantly in touch with Kevin’s people and with the Suns,” coach Steve Kerr said regarding the decision on whether Durant will be available Sunday against Serbia. “This is not going to be like us going out and saying, ‘Hey, let’s just throw him out there.’ This will be a big collaboration.”
After Monday’s victory over Germany, Kerr said Durant was “day-to-day” and needed to go through two straight practices and a scrimmage before being cleared to play. A full-contact practice planned for Thursday should indicate the progress for Durant, who suffered the calf injury roughly a month ago.
“The plan is for him to get in the scrimmage and see how he handles that,” Kerr said. “He looked good today and he did everything and got a lot of shots up and told me he’s feeling pretty good.”
There’s more on Team USA:
- Kerr was unhappy with the slowness of Monday’s game, marking the closest he has come all summer to criticizing his team, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Instead of pushing the ball to maximize their advantages in speed and athleticism, the Americans frequently settled for setting up in their halfcourt offense. They also allowed Germany to hit 13 three-pointers and dominate the offensive boards. “I hated our pace the other day against Germany — we were just walking the ball up the floor,” Kerr said. “The tape was tough to watch.”
- Jim Boylen was experiencing a difficult time both personally and professionally when he got an offer from USA Basketball in 2021, per Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. In addition to being fired as head coach of the Bulls, Boylen went through a divorce and dealt with the death of his brother. He was asked to coach the U.S. in qualifying games for the FIBA World Cup, which was the first step toward reaching the Olympics. “The competitive part of it was exactly what I needed at that point in my life,” Boylen said.
- Danny Chau of The Ringer examines Canada’s growth into a basketball power that may be poised to win its first basketball Olympic medal since 1936.
Olympics Notes: Team USA’s Near Upset, Ivey, South Sudan, Embiid
It was only an exhibition game, but South Sudan had an opportunity to pull off the greatest upset in international basketball history Saturday in London, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Team USA needed a driving layup by LeBron James with eight seconds remaining and a crucial defensive stop to escape with a 101-100 victory.
It marked the first real taste of adversity for a U.S. team that’s heavily favored to win the gold medal in France. South Sudan built its lead as high as 16 points as the Americans’ offense looked badly out of sync for most of the first half.
“I did not do a great job preparing our team, I think we did not focus enough on what they’re capable of and that’s on me,” head coach Steve Kerr said.“They played a wonderful game and the ending was good for us just to feel that. To feel what it’s going to be like in Paris and Lille. … A good reminder that when we play against teams, it’s the biggest game of their lives and we have to expect everyone to play like that.”
Kerr shook things up by using a completely different lineup to start the second half. That sparked a comeback that featured a 23-5 run covering the late third and early fourth quarters, but South Sudan still grabbed a late lead on a three-pointer by JT Thor that set up James’ heroics.
“I think the whole team was embarrassed at halftime to be totally outplayed and down 14,” Kerr said. “And I don’t think [James] was real thrilled about me not starting him in the third quarter. But I thought that next group that we put out there really did a good job defensively. And I looked down a couple of times and I can see LeBron chomping at the bit to be out on the floor as soon as he got out there and he went to work, so he was brilliant.”
There’s more Olympics news to pass along:
- Rockets assistant Royal Ivey, who serves as head coach for South Sudan, believes the experience will help his team in the Olympics even though it didn’t quite get the victory, Windhorst adds. In addition to Thor, South Sudan was led by 2022/23 G League Player of the Year Carlik Jones, who posted a triple-double with 15 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, and Marial Shayok, a second-round pick by the Sixers in 2019, who had 24 points. “We want to take the momentum, the mindset, the tenaciousness that we had [to the Olympics],” Ivey said. “We didn’t flinch.”
- South Sudan is already a remarkable story by reaching the Olympics in only its 13th year as a nation, notes Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle. Former NBA star Luol Deng, who serves as president of the country’s basketball federation, personally funded the program and picked Ivey to serve as head coach in 2021. The Bright Stars qualified for the Olympics with their performance in last year’s FIBA World Cup.
- In an episode of The Interview podcast, Joel Embiid explained that his decision to join Team USA was influenced by pressure from France (hat tip to HoopsHype). “It didn’t help that, you know, France that put an ultimatum on, you know, when the decision had to be made,” Embiid said.
Pacific Notes: Lue, George, Leonard, Podziemski, Kerr, Ellis
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue had multiple conversations with Paul George with the hope that the nine-time All-Star would stay in Los Angeles. Lue, an assistant coach for Team USA, expressed frustration that George chose to leave for Philadelphia as a free agent, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes.
“You lose an important piece to the team like PG, it’s hard to replace,” Lue said. “I’m disappointed that we weren’t able to get the deal done, disappointed he didn’t come back. It’s tough for the organization. We got to see how we move forward from here. I talked to him many times, trying to see what his mindset was, what we need to do different, how we can help his process along. It’s unfortunate that he left.”
Kawhi Leonard was well aware of how the extension talks between George and the front office broke down, so he wasn’t caught off guard by his star teammate’s exit.
“We knew what it was before the season,” Leonard said. “We knew what it was going to come down to. So, we talked the whole way through. It’s no surprise.”
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- Heading into his second season with the Warriors, Brandin Podziemski told Mark Medina of Sportskeeda that he has lofty goals. “Individually, I want to be able to be in the conversation and win Most Improved Player of the Year,” he said. “I want to partake in the Rising Stars game again because it’s in San Francisco next season. I want to participate in the Skills Challenge. That would be fun. Then I want to put my name up there as an up-and-coming star of the league. I’m ready to make the year two jump. As far as team goals, obviously you want to win a title.”
- Coach Steve Kerr is impressed with how Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. recovered from the loss of Klay Thompson by acquiring the services of free agents Buddy Hield, Kyle Anderson and De’Anthony Melton, Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area relays. “To rebound from losing Chris (Paul) and then Klay, and then using the cap to his advantage – he and his group have done a great job,” Kerr said. “We’ve signed three really good players, managed our finances really well and Mike is wonderful at his job in every regard. He’s a great partner, too, through these difficult times. Great guy to be able to lean on.”
- Boogie Ellis is playing for the Kings’ Summer League team after going undrafted out of USC. Ellis led the Trojans in scoring and is trying to earn an NBA contract. Meanwhile, Bronny James got drafted by the Lakers despite posting modest stats at USC. However, Ellis has no hard feelings for his former college teammate, he told Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. “I’m happy for him,” Ellis said. “That’s one of my brothers, so I’m glad he got the opportunity, but at the end of the day this is business. Everybody’s trying to feed their family, so I definitely have a chip on my shoulder. I believe I’m a great basketball player and I’m better than a lot the guys who were picked, but at the end of the day I’ve got to go show my hard work, show what I do. So just continue to work, keep my head down and keep working, and it’s going to pay off.”
Stephen Curry Talks About Losing Klay Thompson
Speaking to Kendra Andrews of ESPN, Stephen Curry speculated that the NBA’s new rules will make it difficult for another team to ever have long-term success like the Warriors.
Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson won four titles together and formed the core of their team for more than a decade. With the introduction of an additional tax apron in the latest Collective Bargaining Agreement, the roster became too expensive and too restrictive to keep together and their partnership ended last week when Thompson reached an agreement with the Mavericks.
“I don’t think [it will be replicated] just because it’s very hard to keep things together in this league,” Curry said. “A lot more player movement. Me, Klay and Draymond, we complemented each other so well for so long. We all brought something different to the table, so we’ll see. Records are meant to be broken. Dynasties come all different shapes inside of us, so we’ll see.”
Curry told Andrews that he “desperately” wanted Thompson to return to the team. However, there have been indications for several months that he wouldn’t get the offer he wanted from Golden State and was planning to explore his options in free agency. Curry also said he understands that Thompson needs a fresh start after 13 years in the Bay Area and expressed hope that he can rediscover the joy he had earlier in his career.
“It’s something that I never imagined would be a reality, but we want him to be happy,” Curry said.
Known as the “Splash Brothers” for their exceptional shooting, Curry and Thompson will be remembered as one of the most successful backcourts in NBA history. They made six trips to the NBA Finals, with Curry twice earning league MVP honors and being named Finals MVP in 2022. Curry was a 10-time All-Star during their years together, while Thompson was selected to five All-Star games.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr also participated in the interview, saying it’s odd to have Thompson playing for another franchise. He added that the feeling won’t fully seem real until the Warriors gather for training camp.
“This has become a family over the years and people have watched us grow and stay together and succeed and fail,” Kerr said. “So Klay leaves, it’s like, yeah, it’s bizarre for us, it’s bizarre for everybody. [But] everybody is given a ton of freedom here and they have to do what’s in their heart. The best thing for Klay, he needed a change.”
The loss of Thompson is part of a roster overhaul as Golden State tries to create a younger team with a smaller tax bill while still getting the most out of the end of Curry’s career. Andrews notes that Kyle Anderson, De’Anthony Melton and Buddy Hield have all been brought in this summer, and larger roles are expected for Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis.
“Being in one place for my own career, and it’s like a broken record, but I know it’s really hard to do that,” Curry said. “I want to be greedy and say we can be relevant and be in the mix and give ourselves a realistic chance to win while I’m still growing these gray hairs and doing high school visits in the Bay [Area] for my daughter. It’s crazy. [It’s] just the nature of where I’m at. But yes, all that to say I love the Bay and the Bay is home and I never want that to change.”
Warriors Notes: Hield, DeMarco, Thompson, Anderson
The Warriors conducted their recruitment of Buddy Hield while the veteran sharpshooter was in Valencia, Spain, where he’s looking to secure an Olympic berth for the Bahamian national team. According to reporting from The Athletic, Warriors assistant Chris DeMarco – who is the head coach for the Bahamas – served as a “helpful ally” for Golden State’s front office in those recruiting efforts.
Hield’s decision to join the Warriors had been trending in that direction for a couple days before he made up his mind, per The Athletic. A late Wednesday call from Warriors head coach Steve Kerr helped seal the deal for Hield, who slept on it before finalizing his decision on Thursday.
As Anthony Slater of The Athletic writes within the same story, Hield, De’Anthony Melton, and Kyle Anderson are three veterans with varying skill sets who will help the Warriors solidify their rotation, but the club is still probably “a large move away from being considered any type of fringe contender.”
Here’s more on the Warriors:
- When the Warriors negotiated the Klay Thompson sign-and-trade with the Mavericks, they had the option of taking back Josh Green or another one of Dallas’ mid-sized contracts (likely Maxi Kleber), but they preferred to use the Thompson trade exception to go shopping in free agency for a player they liked more, sources tell Slater of The Athletic.
- While Anderson averaged 22.6 minutes per game during the regular season for Minnesota last season, his playing time declined to 15.4 MPG in the playoffs. Slater suggests that – as long as the Warriors’ roster is healthy – the forward’s playing time in Golden State may end up closer to that postseason average.
- Thompson took to Instagram on Friday to send a heartfelt farewell to Warriors fans and his longtime franchise. “Oh Bay Area, there are not enough words and images to convey how I really feel about y’all,” he said as part of a longer statement. “From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for the best times of my life. It was such an honor to put that Dubs jersey on from day one. … Don’t be sad it’s over, be happy it happened. Until we meet again. Sea captain out.”
- Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic takes a closer look at the legacy Thompson leaves behind in the Bay Area following his 13 years and four championships with the Warriors.
And-Ones: Team USA, Bonuses, Summer League, Draft, Tavares
The members of the U.S. Olympic team that will compete in Paris this summer have arrived in Las Vegas, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Team USA will hold a pre-Olympic camp in Vegas from July 6-8 and will be joined by a 15-man Select Team for scrimmaging purposes.
Led by LeBron James (two Olympic gold medals, 20 All-Star berths) and Kevin Durant (three gold medals, 14 All-Star berths), the 12-man Olympic roster is as formidable as any team USA Basketball has fielded in the 21st century, with 84 combined All-Star nods. It will make picking a starting lineup a challenging task for head coach Steve Kerr.
“It’s a good problem to have,” Kerr said on Friday, per Reynolds. “I’m guessing that all 12 players on this roster will be in the Hall of Fame someday. So, how do you pick five out of 12? The idea is, you find combinations that click, and you find two-way lineups that can be effective at both ends. Our big job in Las Vegas is to find five-man combinations that fit and to just ask all 12 guys to fully commit to the goal of winning a gold medal no matter what it looks like, no matter who’s playing.”
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Expect NBA teams to include unlikely incentives less frequently in player contracts going forward, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Those unlikely bonuses don’t count against the cap if they’re not earned, but they do count when determining a team’s position relative to the tax aprons, giving high-spending teams less wiggle room below those aprons. For instance, the Heat – who are operating in between the first and second aprons – would presumably prefer not to have to account for the $1.5MM unlikely bonus Tyler Herro would earn for winning Defensive Player of the Year.
- With the Bulls, Magic, Nets, Trail Blazers, Cavaliers, and Hawks among the teams announcing their Summer League rosters on Friday, Brett Siegel of Clutch Points has updated his tracker of the Summer League squads from around the NBA.
- While no concrete decisions have been made yet about next year’s draft schedule, the expectation is that the NBA will want the second round (ie. the second day) to start in the evening instead of the afternoon, Marc Stein writes at his Substack. The second day of the 2024 draft began at 4:00 pm Eastern time on June 27 so as not to compete with the U.S. presidential debate that was scheduled for that evening.
- There had been some speculation in the spring that Walter Tavares might try to make an NBA comeback this summer, but the former Hawks and Cavaliers big man – who has been a star in Europe since 2017 – won’t be going anywhere, having signed a five-year contract with Real Madrid, the Spanish team announced in a press release. The all-time EuroLeague blocks leader, Tavares has won a pair of EuroLeague championships with Madrid in 2018 and 2023.
Why Klay Thompson Left Warriors, Joined Mavericks
Several authors — including Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Sam Amick of The Athletic, and Ramona Shelburne and Kendra Andrews of ESPN — have written recent stories about Klay Thompson‘s departure from the Warriors, with various sourced details from within the organization and those close to Thompson.
All three stories indicate there have been multiple incidents from both sides over the years that “splintered” the relationship, but perhaps most importantly was majority owner Joe Lacob spearheading a “cold, mostly uncommunicative approach to Thompson’s next contract in his three summers of extension eligibility,” a source tell Slater. While that may have been a common negotiating tactic for Lacob with key Warriors stakeholders over the years, the 34-year-old swingman “operates on his own wavelength,” as Slater writes.
According to Shelburne and Andrews, Thompson was “miserable” over the past year-plus for several reasons, including disappointing contract negotiations and a perceived disrespect that the Warriors had chosen to extend or re-sign players like Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole and Draymond Green but were unwilling to give him long-term security. It was also difficult for Thompson to reconcile with the fact that he was no longer physically able to be the same player after a pair of major injuries — a torn ACL and a torn Achilles tendon — cost him two-and-a-half seasons.
Thompson’s discontent was palpable throughout the 2023/24 season, which saw him benched at one point before he reclaimed his starting job to close the campaign. Sources tell ESPN that Thompson’s actions exasperated “even his loyalists in the locker room” last season. He also had several “emotional meetings” with head coach Steve Kerr, who said after the season ended he wanted to bring Thompson off the bench and reduce his minutes in ’24/25, per Slater.
While it has been reported multiple times that the Warriors offered Thompson a two-year extension worth around $48MM last offseason, the team’s front office evidently did not keep that offer on the table during the season. According to ESPN’s duo, Thompson’s agents put “at least four” contract proposals on the table and each were declined, with the team saying it wanted to wait. The final offer came in at about $40MM over two seasons, per Shelburne and Andrews. The Warriors never made counteroffers, according to Amick.
Sources tell Slater that Thompson asked Stephen Curry not to put pressure on the front office and ownership to bring his longtime backcourt partner back, as Thompson wanted the team’s interest to come organically. ESPN’s authors hear that Thompson also spoke to Kerr and Green and told them similarly.
According to Slater, once it became clear that re-signing Thompson wasn’t a top priority for the Warriors and that they wanted him to be patient as they attended to other business, Thompson’s decision became “easy.” Thompson never received a formal offer from Golden State in free agency, but several sources tell Slater the 34-year-old unofficially decided to leave weeks prior.
Being heavily scrutinized in a large market weighed on Thompson, and he was looking for a “fresh start” with a new organization. He “loved watching” the Mavericks‘ run to the NBA Finals, and was also interested in playing for the Thunder and Lakers, per ESPN.
Dallas was Thompson’s top choice, both for his potential fit alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving and for being in a media environment that is a little more laid back. Thompson played with former rival Irving on Team USA in the 2016 Olympics and the two were in regular contact about the possibility of teaming up in Dallas, according to Amick, who adds that Thompson viewed the Mavs as his best chance to win a fifth championship ring.
Oklahoma City had interest in Thompson but used its cap room to sign Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency, Shelburne and Andrews note. Thompson had “positive” conversations with key Lakers stakeholders like LeBron James, J.J. Redick and Rob Pelinka, and L.A. was willing to offer him a four-year, $80MM contract as part of a sign-and-trade; however, sources tell Amick that offer was contingent on the Lakers convincing Golden State to take back D’Angelo Russell (he also could have been routed to a third team).
Ultimately, Thompson had reservations about the attention playing in Los Angeles would bring, thinking it would be too similar to the unhappy end to his tenure with Golden State, per ESPN’s authors. Despite offering less money (he’ll reportedly receive $50MM over three years in the sign-and-trade), Thompson liked the fit with the Mavs, who made him their top priority in a meeting led by GM Nico Harrison and VP of basketball operations Michael Finley, as Amick writes.
All three stories have more details on Thompson’s departure and decision to join the Mavericks and are worth reading in full.
Pacific Notes: Thompson, Kerr, Durant, Dunn, Vezenkov, Clippers, Lakers, Casey, Vaughn
Warriors coach Steve Kerr doesn’t want to go into next season without Klay Thompson.
Kerr told Tristi Rodriguez on the Jim Rome Show (hat tip to Zach Bachar of Bleacher Report) he doesn’t want to see the Splash Brothers broken up. Thompson is headed to unrestricted free agency unless he signs an extension in the coming days. The Athletic reported this week that negotiations between the two parties are “essentially frozen.”
“I want him back desperately,” Kerr said. “And we will have our conversations and he’s got to make whatever decision he makes, but we really want him back. He’s Klay Thompson.”
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- The Rockets swapped future draft picks with the Nets, acquiring numerous Phoenix first-rounders with an eye toward pushing the Suns to trade Kevin Durant or Devin Booker. However, the Suns are intent on “riding” with Booker, Bradley Beal and Durant, according to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link).
- The Suns might target veteran guard Kris Dunn in free agency, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (subscription required). Phoenix, in the market for point guard depth, is limited to offering veteran’s minimum deals to free agents and rival teams expect them to take a long look at Dunn, who started 32 games for Utah last season.
- Sasha Vezenkov would prefer to remain in the NBA, Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net relays. There have been conflicting reports on whether the former Euroleague star wants to stay in the NBA, though the Kings wing has a fully guaranteed contract for next season. “Panathinaikos called me sometimes and expressed interest,” Nick Lotsos, Vezenkov’s rep, told the Greek newspaper Fos. “I told them that both Vezenkov and myself want to see if he will continue in the NBA first. If he leaves the NBA, we will give priority to his last European team, Olympiacos, in discussions. If negotiations do not succeed, then we will probably open talks with other teams.”
- The Clippers don’t have a first-round pick but they do own the No. 46 overall pick. Law Murray of The Athletic explores which players the Clippers might target in the second round.
- Former Raptors and Pistons coach Dwane Casey and former Nets coach Jacque Vaughn are candidates to join J.J. Redick’s staff with the Lakers, according to Marc Stein. The Lakers want to surround Redick with experienced voices.
Pacific Notes: Hurley, Suns, Vezenkov, Kerr
UConn submitted a new contract offer to try to keep Dan Hurley as its head coach, but a source close to the athletic department tells Adam Zagoria of NJ.com that the school can’t afford to get into a bidding war with the Lakers. Hurley traveled to Los Angeles on Friday to meet with team officials and is expected to consider his options throughout the weekend before reaching a decision. One of those options will be an offer from the university that would reportedly make him the third-highest-paid coach in the NCAA.
“We want to pay him certainly what he’s worth, but there’s a limit to how far we can actually go just because of the political pressures and all of that,” the source told Zagoria. “Even though everybody wants him to stay, and everybody’s behind it, I just think there’s a cap that exists.”
Zagoria points to a USA Today database that lists Bill Self with a $9.6MM annual salary at Kansas, while John Calipari will earn $8MM in the first year of his new contract at Arkansas. Hurley signed a six-year deal worth $32MM after winning his first national title last year, and he earned a $2MM bonus this season on top of his $5MM base salary.
“Obviously, they want to pay him,” Zagoria’s source added. “I just think at some point it’s not going to be Kentucky, it’s not going to be the place where you can just get some stupid number. I think there are just some realities at the school that make that tougher.”
There’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Suns will attempt to fill three needs this summer despite being bound by second apron restrictions, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 said on the Burns and Gambo podcast (hat tip to RealGM). After letting Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant run the offense this season, Phoenix hopes to find a point guard who can play at least 20 minutes per game, according to Gambadoro. The team is also in the market for a young wing player who can provide more athleticism, along with an upgrade on Drew Eubanks at backup center.
- Conflicting information about Kings forward Sasha Vezenkov makes it hard to tell which parts of the story are legitimate, James Ham states in his latest edition of Kings Beat (subscription required). As we relayed earlier today, a Eurohoops report stated that Vezenkov has asked for a change of scenery and is considering a return to Europe. However, Ham notes that Matteo Andreani of Basketinside claims the Kings told Vezenkov that he’s not in their plans for next season and they’ll try to trade him. Either scenario could lead to a breakup this summer, and Ham states that team officials have been silent about Vezenkov’s future.
- Warriors coach Steve Kerr understands the pressure on Team USA to capture an Olympic gold medal this summer, calling it a “win or fail” situation, per Ron Kroichick of The San Francisco Chronicle. Part of Kerr’s early preparation has been watching past losses to see what went wrong, including a 113-111 defeat against Germany in last year’s FIBA World Cup semifinals. “One of the things we look at is, why has USA Basketball lost games in the past?” Kerr said. “There are some common themes, and the big one really is defense. The games we’ve lost, we just failed to stop the other team. This Germany game is one of them — they carved us up. So we’re going to have to be really good defensively this summer.”
And-Ones: RSNs, Kerr, Curry, 2024 FAs, Media Rights, More
Speaking in court on Wednesday, lawyers for the NBA, MLB, and NHL aimed “pointed criticism” at Diamond Sports Group and expressed skepticism about the company’s ability to produce a viable business plan to emerge from bankruptcy, according to reports from Evan Drellich of The Athletic and Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.
Diamond, which controls the “Bally Sports”-branded regional sports networks, has yet to reach a new agreement with Comcast, its third-largest distributor, following the expiration of their previous contract, prompting Comcast to pull the Bally networks off the air earlier this month. Diamond will also need to make a new linear cable and digital rights deal with the NBA after its previous contract expired. Fifteen NBA teams aired their games locally on Bally Sports networks last season.
“We simply cannot afford to have our next season disrupted by the uncertainty as to whether Diamond will or will not have a viable business,” NBA attorney Vincent Indelicato said on Wednesday.
A confirmation hearing is scheduled for June 18. If the hearing isn’t postponed, the court will decide at that time whether to approve Diamond’s restructuring plan.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- A pair of Warriors were honored by the Professional Basketball Writers Association this week (Twitter links). Head coach Steve Kerr received this season’s Rudy Tomjanovich Award, which is related to a coach’s “cooperation with the media and fans,” while star guard Stephen Curry won the Magic Johnson Award, given to the player who “best combines excellence on the court with cooperation and grace in dealing with the media and fans.”
- Frank Urbina and Raul Barrigon of HoopsHype have ranked this summer’s free agents by position. James Harden tops the list of point guards, with Tyrese Maxey (shooting guards), Paul George (small forwards), Pascal Siakam (power forwards), and Nic Claxton (centers) also at No. 1 for their respective positions.
- Ben Koo of Awful Announcing rounds up a handful of reports from various outlets breaking down where things stand in the NBA’s media rights negotiations. As Koo outlines, Warner Bros. Discovery (TNT Sports) has reportedly sought to exercise its matching rights on reported bids by NBC ($2.5 billion) and Amazon ($1.8 billion), but the NBA isn’t recognizing those matching rights because Amazon’s package is a new one and NBC’s includes an over-the-air broadcast network. The league is said to be seeking $2.8 billion from TNT if it wants to match NBC’s offer and get the same package of games. Former Fox Sports Networks president Bob Thompson provides a few more details (via Twitter).
- In an in-depth story for The Ringer, Mirin Fader checks in on the NBA’s female coaching pipeline and considers whether the league is any closer to getting its first female head coach.
- In the wake of the Jontay Porter betting scandal, David Purdum of ESPN explores how the NBA and other major sports leagues are pushing for U.S. sportsbooks to tweak the betting options and limits they offer, especially for specific players.