Spurs Rumors

Giannis Antetokounmpo Will Reportedly Consider Leaving Bucks

May 12th, 2025 at 8:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has become open-minded about considering opportunities outside of Milwaukee for the first time in his career, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN.

Teams have routinely called to check on Antetokounmpo’s potential availability in recent years, and that process is expected to intensify as they gather in Chicago this week for the draft combine, Charania adds.

Antetokounmpo’s representatives, Giorgios Panou and Alex Saratsis, will meet with Bucks officials at some point to discuss the team’s future and determine whether Milwaukee is still the best fit for their client, according to Charania’s sources. The Bucks are reportedly resistant toward the idea of trading Antetokounmpo, who is still under contract through the 2026/27 season and holds a $62.8MM player option for the following year, and are unlikely to pursue a deal unless he requests it.

Speculation about a possible Antetokounmpo trade has been rampant since the Bucks were eliminated by the Pacers last month, marking the third straight year they have been ousted in the first round. Antetokounmpo has been open about his desire to add another championship to the one he captured in 2021, and there are doubts regarding whether he still has any hope of achieving that in Milwaukee.

The situation became more dire with the torn left Achilles that Damian Lillard suffered in Game 4 of the Indiana series. Lillard underwent surgery last week and faces a lengthy rehab process that could force him to miss all of next season. That would leave the Bucks without a second star to team with Antetokounmpo and little chance to acquire one as Lillard remains on the books for $54.1MM next season with a $58.5MM player option for 2026/27.

Charania notes that Antetokounmpo, a finalist for MVP honors, just completed one of the best seasons of his career, averaging 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists in 67 games while shooting 60.1% from the field. He raised those numbers in the playoffs, posting 33 points, 15.4 rebounds and 6.6 assists per night in the five-game loss.

Antetokounmpo has established himself as one of the greatest players in Bucks history since being selected with the 15th pick in the 2013 draft. He’s a two-time MVP and a nine-time All-Star, and he delivered the team’s first NBA title in 50 years.

According to Charania, Milwaukee’s .663 winning percentage since 2018/19 is the best in the league. However, the Bucks only have one playoff series victory since their 2021 championship season.

If Antetokounmpo goes on the market, teams that can offer young talent and a stockpile of draft assets are considered to be the most likely destinations. The Rockets, Spurs, Thunder and Nets have already been mentioned prominently in trade speculation, but Milwaukee’s front office would likely hear offers from all 29 rival teams.

Charania notes that the Bucks have an opportunity to remake their roster this summer, with Kyle Kuzma, A.J. Green, Andre Jackson, Chris Livingston and Tyler Smith joining Antetokounmpo and Lillard as the only players currently under contract. Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton and Kevin Porter Jr. hold player options for next season, and they could decide to join Brook Lopez, Taurean Prince and Gary Trent Jr. as free agents.

However, the Bucks are already facing cap concerns as Antetokounmpo, Lillard and Kuzma will earn roughly $130MM of the $164MM they already have committed for 2025/26. General manager Jon Horst has limited draft assets to offer in any trade, with the franchise not controlling any of its first-round picks until 2031.

Charania notes that the Bucks were able to escape the second apron with the Kuzma trade in February, but they still have limited breathing room heading into the summer. They’re currently about $23MM below the luxury tax and $41MM away from a return to the second apron for next season.

Charania points out that even a modest offseason that includes re-signing Lopez, using the $14.1MM non-taxpayer midlevel exception and filling out the roster with minimum-salary signees would put Milwaukee into tax territory for the sixth straight year.

Community Shootaround: Best, Worst Draft Lottery Outcomes

May 11th, 2025 at 8:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Fans of NBA teams who own a pick (or two) in this year’s lottery will obviously be rooting for their favorite club to get lucky on Monday and claim the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft, putting them in position to select Duke phenom Cooper Flagg.

But what about the fans who don’t have a personal rooting interest in Monday’s event? What outcome should they be hoping for? Would it be more interesting for Flagg to become the centerpiece of a rebuilding team that badly needs one, like the Jazz or Wizards? Or would it be more fun to see him join a team with some established talent that only ended up high in the lottery due to injuries, like the Pelicans or Sixers?

Here are all the teams that have a shot at the No. 1 pick, as our breakdown of the lottery odds indicates:

Utah Jazz (14%): The Jazz have made five first-round picks in the past two drafts, but none of those players looks like an obvious franchise cornerstone. They bottomed out this season in the hopes of landing one.
Washington Wizards (14%): If the Wizards ended up with the first overall pick, they’d be adding Flagg to a young core that includes Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr, and Bub Carrington.
Charlotte Hornets (14%): The Hornets almost certainly would’ve been a lottery team even if they’d been healthy in 2024/25, but injuries to key players like LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Mark Williams are the main reason they’re this high in the lottery standings.
New Orleans Pelicans (12.5%): Perhaps no team was hit harder by the injury bug this past year than the Pelicans, whose decision on Zion Williamson‘s future (keep or trade) would be all the more interesting if they were able to add Flagg.
Philadelphia 76ers (10.5%): While Joel Embiid‘s health remains a major question mark going forward, no Eastern Conference team would want the Sixers to get the chance to add Flagg to a group that features Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey.
Brooklyn Nets (9%): The Nets reacquired control of their first-round pick from Houston last offseason, anticipating that they’d be in this position. That trade would pay off in a massive way if they get lucky on lottery night.
Toronto Raptors (7.5%): The Raptors have a crowded forward depth chart already, with Brandon Ingram joining Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett. Adding Flagg to the mix would create a pretty unbalanced roster, but they’d absolutely welcome that problem.
San Antonio Spurs (6.7%): Besides their own pick (6.0%), the Spurs also control the Hawks’ first-rounder (0.7%), giving them two outside shots at No. 1. Given that the Spurs won the lottery for Victor Wembanyama just two years ago, it would feel a little unfair for them to luck into Flagg too, but that duo would be very fun to watch together.
Houston Rockets (3.8%): The 52-win Rockets, who control Phoenix’s first-round pick, have no shortage of young talent on their roster already. Winning the lottery would be a case of the rich getting richer, especially considering that Houston also has extra future draft assets that could be used as trade chips for additional upgrades.
Portland Trail Blazers (3.7%): Portland’s young core features plenty of intriguing talent, including Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara, Shaedon Sharpe, and Scoot Henderson, but they’d love to add one more long-term keeper to that group before they start trying to contend. For what it’s worth, the Hawks moved up from this spot in the lottery standings to No. 1 last year.
Dallas Mavericks (1.8%): Jumping up to No. 1 might be karmic justice for fans in Dallas, who were devastated by this year’s Luka Doncic trade. But would it feel right for general manager Nico Harrison to be rewarded with a new franchise player after making that Doncic deal? Either way, adding Flagg to a roster that features Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving would certainly qualify as intriguing.
Chicago Bulls (1.7%): The Bulls have begun leaning into a rebuild this past year, having traded away Alex Caruso, DeMar DeRozan, and Zach LaVine. They’ll probably need to tear things down further if they want to have a legitimate shot at a top pick, but you never know.
Sacramento Kings (0.8%): The Kings’ top-12 protected pick will likely be sent to Atlanta at No. 13, but there’s a 0.8% chance of them moving up to No. 1. After a tumultuous year that saw Sacramento fire head coach Mike Brown and GM Monte McNair and trade star point guard De’Aaron Fox, new head of basketball operations Scott Perry would love to begin his tenure by seeing this long shot of less than 1-in-100 come through.

We want to know what you think. Outside of your favorite team, which club would you most like to see win the draft lottery on Monday evening? Which outcome would be a worst-case scenario, in your view?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts!

Latest On Hawks’ Search For Top Basketball Executive

May 9th, 2025 at 1:23pm CST by Rory Maher

Hawks owner Tony Ressler has shown a “significant interest” in pursuing player agents to run Atlanta’s front office, league sources tell Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

According to Stein and Fischer, Ressler has pursued former Warriors executive Bob Myers — also a former agent — to lead the Hawks’ basketball operations department, but those overtures have been unsuccessful. Stein and Fischer hear that Myers, who is now a consultant for the NFL’s Washington Commanders and an ESPN analyst, will be highly selective if he ever takes another front office job.

Stein and Fischer previously reported that Elton Brand, Calvin Booth and Monte McNair have interviewed for the Hawks’ vacancy, though Sixers GM Brand recently withdrew from consideration. In their latest report, The Stein Line duo add a new name to the list of interviewees: Danny Ferry.

Ferry, who has been a Spurs consultant since 2020, was previously the general manager of the Cavaliers from 2005-10. He also ran the Hawks’ front office from 2012-14.

Ferry was at the center of a controversy in Atlanta after making racially insensitive remarks while reading a scouting report on Luol Deng during an organizational conference call. That incident ultimately led to Ferry stepping down as the Hawks’ general manager in 2015. The 58-year-old former NBA player was hired by the Pelicans as a special advisor in 2016 and briefly served as New Orleans’ interim GM in 2019.

The Hawks are seeking a president of basketball operations to oversee the front office, with Onsi Saleh — who was promoted to interim GM after Landry Fields was fired — working under the new hire.

Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly, Magic senior advisor John Hammond, NBA G League president Shareef Abdur-Rahim and former Hawks wing Travis Hansen are among the other names that have been linked to Atlanta’s vacancy. Multiple reports have indicated that Connelly is expected to sign a new deal with Minnesota.

Southwest Notes: Mavs, Aldama, Popovich, Pelicans

May 8th, 2025 at 8:48am CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison is making major changes to the club’s health and performance team, according to reports from Marc Stein (Twitter link), Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News and Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Those changes include parting ways head athletic trainer Dionne Calhoun and athletic performance director Keith Belton, among others.

As MacMahon details, Calhoun has spent over two decades with the Mavericks and had been the team’s head athletic trainer since 2019. He was one of the last holdovers from the staff of former health and performance director Casey Smith, who was let go in 2023.

MacMahon previously published a lengthy story about the turmoil within Dallas’ health and performance director, as we relayed last month. That story included details on a “loud, heated confrontation” between Belton and director of player health and performance Johann Bilsborough over how the team was handling Dereck Lively‘s ankle injury. That incident spurred an HR investigation, according to MacMahon, who says Bilsborough remains employed by the team.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal previews Santi Aldama‘s upcoming restricted free agency, noting that the presence of solid frontcourt options like Jaren Jackson Jr., Brandon Clarke, and Zach Edey will give the Grizzlies some leverage in their negotiations with Aldama. However, the 24-year-old Spaniard has steadily improved during his four years in Memphis and his offensive skill set is an asset, Cole notes, so the team won’t necessarily be able to bring him back at a bargain rate.
In a feature story for ESPN.com, Baxter Holmes takes an in-depth look at the “unparalleled” legacy that Gregg Popovich will leave behind after coaching the Spurs for the better part of three decades. Holmes spoke to Steve Kerr, Jerry Colangelo, Mike Krzyzewski, and Adam Silver, among others, about the impact that Popovich had during his long run as the head coach in San Antonio.
Ahead of Monday’s draft lottery, William Guillory of The Athletic explores what the Pelicans‘ draft options will look like if they don’t have a shot at Cooper Flagg at No. 1 overall. Guillory breaks down some hypothetical scenarios in which New Orleans lands V.J. Edgecombe (at No. 4), Kon Knueppel (No. 5), and Jeremiah Fears (No. 7).

Mitch Johnson Receives Multiyear Commitment From Spurs

May 6th, 2025 at 8:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Mitch Johnson has agreed to a multiyear contract with the Spurs, agent Andy Miller tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Johnson was named the team’s permanent head coach after serving in that capacity on an interim basis most of this season. Gregg Popovich has retired from coaching as he continues to recover from a stroke suffered in November. Popovich has taken a front office job as president of basketball operations.

It’s customary for teams to sign head coaches to multiyear contracts and this confirms Johnson will receive a commitment beyond next season.

Johnson, 38, has been with the organization since 2016 when he was hired as an assistant coach for San Antonio’s G League affiliate in Austin. He became an assistant with the NBA club three years later.

Johnson led the Spurs to a 31-45 record after Popovich’s health issues. Johnson is the third-youngest active coach in the league, behind only Boston’s Joe Mazzulla and Utah’s Will Hardy.

Spurs Notes: Popovich, Johnson, Offseason Outlook, Fox, Paul

May 5th, 2025 at 9:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

A few days after the Spurs announced Gregg Popovich would permanently vacate the head coaching job and move to the front office, he made a surprise appearance at a press conference for his replacement, Mitch Johnson, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News reports.

Popovich, who suffered a stroke in November, explained why the move was necessary.

“Things are getting better by the day but it’s not good enough for what we plan ahead, and so it’s time to make this change,” he said.

The press conference at the practice facility was his first public appearance since the health crisis. Popovich, who retains his title of president of basketball operations, was pleased to be able to remove Johnson’s interim tag.

“We saw him in action and he was brilliant. … I couldn’t be more thrilled for him,” he said.

Here’s more on the Spurs:

Johnson said the franchise has brighter days ahead. Spurs first-rounders Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle have won the last two Rookie of the Year awards. “We have a hold on the direction and want to build upon something,” Johnson said, per Kelly Iko of The Athletic. “This is not a reboot or restart. It’s a new chapter because it looks different, but the theme of the book isn’t changing.”
Johnson credited Popovich for teaching him the coaching ropes, including attention to detail, competitiveness and player development. “You understand the moment and how important every single moment is. And no moment is like any other,” Johnson said. “The discipline you have to be grounded and present, giving yourself to every moment is what I will never forget. And at this moment, I would like to say thank you.”
The Spurs possess two first-rounders in this year’s draft with a chance to move up with both picks in the lottery, ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes. San Antonio has 10 players under contract for next season and even though it pulled off the De’Aaron Fox blockbuster during the season, it is well-positioned to make another big move this summer. Fox is eligible for a four-year, $229MM max extension this summer.
The Spurs could be in the market for a free agent shooter and need to sort out their point guard situation, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith notes in his offseason preview. Chris Paul is headed back to free agency and his future with the franchise is uncertain, Smith writes, identifying Sandro Mamukelashvili as the most likely to return among the team’s free agents.

Southwest Notes: Grizzlies, Davis, Castle, Popovich

May 2nd, 2025 at 5:14pm CST by Luke Adams

On paper, a 48-win season for the Grizzlies looks like a relative success on the heels of last season’s injury-plagued 27-win showing. However, the club went just 14-23 over its final 37 games (including the play-in and playoffs) and finds itself at a crossroads entering the offseason, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic, a former Grizzlies executive.

Having spoken to sources around the league, Hollinger says four main themes were brought up as issues in Memphis: Ja Morant‘s lack of dependability on and off the court in recent years; potentially investing too heavily in Desmond Bane as a third option; gradually losing several key role players (such as Dillon Brooks, Steven Adams, De’Anthony Melton, and Kyle Anderson); and an inability to hit a home run on the trade market.

Regarding that last point, Hollinger notes that the Grizzlies have made an effort to take big swings over the years — they inquired on impact wings like OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Kevin Durant. However, their most significant deal, which saw them give up multiple first-round picks in exchange for Marcus Smart in 2023, didn’t pan out. The club ultimately had to give up another first-round pick to move off Smart’s contract at this year’s trade deadline.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Given the disappointment and anger that Mavericks fans felt over the team’s decision to trade Luka Doncic, the newest impact player in Dallas – Anthony Davis – is under immense pressure as he tries to fill the shoes of a beloved superstar. Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required) believes Davis is well suited to take on that challenge and takes an in-depth look at the path the former No. 1 overall pick took to Dallas. “Some people play this game because they make a lot of money. Some people play this game because they care, which makes them a lot of money. AD is a guy that cares,” agent Rich Paul told The Dallas Morning News earlier this year. “He’s bringing all that growth and maturation with him. I think Dallas is actually getting the best AD.”
After being named this season’s Rookie of the Year, Spurs guard Stephon Castle admitted this week that he doesn’t feel yet like he deserves to be mentioned alongside the franchise’s previous winners of the award (Tim Duncan, David Robinson, and Victor Wembanyama). However, as Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required) relays, Castle also pointed out that the back-to-back Rookie of the Year honors for him and Wembanyama bode well for San Antonio’s outlook going forward. “It speaks highly of our future,” he said. “What we have going on and what we plan on doing.” Castle added that he won’t “shy away” from the target that his Rookie of the Year award puts on his back next season.
Although Gregg Popovich will no longer coach the Spurs, his presence will be felt for years to come, according to columnist Mike Finger of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required), who examines the way that Popovich’s influence has permeated through the organization and the impact he has made on the Spurs’ culture over the last three decades.

Spurs Name Mitch Johnson As Head Coach

May 2nd, 2025 at 11:41am CST by Arthur Hill

12:20pm: The move is official, the Spurs announced in a press release. “We are thrilled for Mitch Johnson to be our next head coach,” managing partner Peter J. Holt said. “Throughout his decade in the organization we have seen that Mitch has the right values, poise and potential to lead us into the future.”

11:41am: Mitch Johnson, who served as the Spurs‘ interim head coach after Gregg Popovich was sidelined by an early-season stroke, will be given the job on a permanent basis, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

The move comes after Popovich stepped down from the position earlier today to become the team’s full-time president of basketball operations.

He was pushed into the spotlight after Popovich’s medical issue emerged six games into the season. Johnson took over the reins and led the Spurs to a 31-45 record, keeping them in the race for a spot in the play-in tournament until the final week of the regular season despite injuries to Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox.

The is the Spurs’ first official coaching change since 1996, when Popovich replaced Bob Hill on the sidelines. Johnson becomes the third-youngest active coach in the league, behind only Boston’s Joe Mazzulla and Utah’s Will Hardy.

Before starting his coaching career, Johnson was a star player at Stanford, ranking second on the school’s career assist list when he graduated in 2009. He spent three years playing in the G League and in Europe before retiring to pursue coaching.

In a full story, Charania states that Johnson had “tremendous support from the franchise’s top officials and players” to become Popovich’s successor. Charania cites the move with Johnson as part of “the continuity and through-line” created by Popovich, CEO RC Buford and general manager Brian Wright to maintain stability in the organization.

The Spurs are showing tremendous faith in Johnson by giving him the job without conducting a widespread search. Some of the other names currently on the market include Michael Malone, who was recently fired after a long stint with Denver that included an NBA title, and ex-Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins, who also began his career as an assistant with the Spurs’ G League team.

Gregg Popovich Ends Coaching Career

May 2nd, 2025 at 10:56am CST by Arthur Hill

Gregg Popovich has stepped down as head coach of the Spurs and will become president of basketball operations on a full-time basis, the team announced in a press release.

Popovich is the winningest head coach in NBA history with 1,422 regular season victories, and he captured five championships during nearly three decades on San Antonio’s bench. He was named Coach of the Year three times and was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2023.

“While my love and passion for the game remain, I’ve decided it’s time to step away as head coach,” Popovich said. “I’m forever grateful to the wonderful players, coaches, staff and fans who allowed me to serve them as the Spurs head coach and am excited for the opportunity to continue to support the organization, community and city that are so meaningful to me.”

Popovich suffered a stroke in early November and never returned to the bench, with the team announcing in February that he was done for the season. He made progress in his recovery and was able to meet with his players, but he had to be briefly hospitalized again last month after a medical incident at a restaurant.

Popovich joined the organization in 1988 as an assistant coach and has been part of the Spurs’ front office since May of 1994. Sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN that Popovich has remained active in that role throughout his medical issues and “will continue to be a vital member of the franchise’s day-to-day operations.”

Charania’s sources add that Popovich had been in the team’s facility recently and still had a desire to return to coaching. Ultimately, he decided that the day-to-day grind of being a head coach would be too difficult.

“Coach Pop’s extraordinary impact on our family, San Antonio, the Spurs and the game of basketball is profound,” managing partner Peter J. Holt said in the Spurs’ press release. “His accolades and awards don’t do justice to the impact he has had on so many people. He is truly one-of-one as a person, leader and coach. Our entire family, alongside fans from across the globe, are grateful for his remarkable 29-year run as the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs.”

Spurs’ Stephon Castle Wins Rookie Of Year Award

April 29th, 2025 at 6:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Stephon Castle won a national championship with the University of Connecticut in his lone college season. The 20-year-old guard has now earned a major individual accolade – the NBA’s Rookie of the Year Award, , the league announced in a press release.

Castle is the second consecutive San Antonio player to earn Rookie of the Year recognition. Victor Wembanyama captured the award last spring.

Castle appeared in all but one of the Spurs‘ games this season after being selected with the No. 4 overall pick last June. He averaged 14.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 0.9 steals in 26.7 minutes per game. Castle, who started 47 games, shot 42.8% from the field.

Castle became a consistent offensive force as the season progressed and reached the 20-point mark 26 times. His post-All-Star averages were 17.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 5.0 APG in 30 games.

That was enough for him take down the top prize by a landslide over the two other finalists.

Top pick Zaccharie Risacher appeared in 75 games, including 73 starts, for the Hawks. The 6’8″ forward finished the season with averages of 12.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game, shooting 45.8% from the field overall and 35.5% from long range. Risacher scored 30 or more points in four games.

Jaylen Wells proved to be a diamond in the rough for the Grizzlies. The 39th overall pick started 74 of the 79 games in which he played. Wells wasn’t a big part of Memphis’ offense but still averaged 10.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per night while taking on challenging defensive assignments.

Castle received 92 of a possible 100 votes from a global media panel and accumulated 482 points, according to the league (Twitter link). Risacher had five first-place votes and 245 points, while Wells received three first-place votes and 123 points.

Alex Sarr, Zach Edey, Kel’el Ware, Matas Buzelis, and Jared McCain also received votes. The required 65-game minimum doesn’t apply to Rookie of the Year voting, which is why a player like McCain, who suffered a season-ending injury after just 23 outings, was eligible.

Castle’s scoring average is the second lowest among ROY winners in the last 22 seasons. Only Malcolm Brogdon (2017) had a lower average (10.2 PPG) during that span.

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