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Jazz Owner Smith Trying To Bring Third Pro Team To Utah

August 19th, 2022 at 7:00pm CST by Rory Maher

Jazz owner Ryan Smith has sold a minority stake in Smith Entertainment Group, the team’s parent company, to private equity firm Arctos Sports Partners with the “intention to bring a third professional sports franchise to the state” of Utah, writes Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune.

As Walden details, in addition to owning the Jazz, Smith Entertainment Group also owns Vivint Arena, the team’s home venue, and is a shareholder in Major League Soccer club Real Salt Lake. Arctos will now be invested in all three ventures, pending approval of the NBA’s Board of Governors. Arctos actually already had a minority stake in RSL, so evidently the private equity firm had its eyes on a bigger prize.

On the NBA side, Arctos holds a 17% stake in the Kings and 13% in the Warriors, in addition to numerous other professional sports franchises. According to Walden, it seems that SEG and Arctos will be trying to bring either an MLB or NHL team to Utah in the future, as NFL teams currently forbid private investment firms and are extremely expensive.

“We are excited to partner with Arctos. They are committed to Utah and to investing in this community and our sports teams and facilities,” Smith said in a statement. “As SEG continues to build out the professional sports landscape in the state, the Arctos partnership brings strong commitment to Utah sports and a deep connection across all major sports leagues.”

While the move presumably has no bearing on the Jazz’s on-court product, it certainly shows Smith’s commitment to his home state. Many around the NBA are waiting to see what’s next for the team after it traded Rudy Gobert to Minnesota and is reportedly listening to offers for three-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell.

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Poll: Donovan Mitchell’s Future

August 19th, 2022 at 1:17pm CST by Luke Adams

When word first broke on July 1 that the Jazz had agreed to a blockbuster trade sending Rudy Gobert to Minnesota, reports from ESPN and The Athletic quickly clarified that Utah had no plans to trade Donovan Mitchell and intended to build its roster around the All-Star guard.

The reports made some sense. After all, there had been rumored tension between Gobert and Mitchell for years. Mitchell, who will turn 26 in September, is four years younger than Gobert and is on a slightly less pricey contract. If the organization was going to choose to move forward with one or the other, Mitchell seemed likely to be the pick.

On top of that, the return in the Gobert trade set up the Jazz for a quick pivot — they could incorporate reliable rotational role players like Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt and could conceivably flip some of the first-round picks they got from Minnesota for more pieces to complement Mitchell. Combining those assets with returning veterans like Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson, and Rudy Gay would provide the Jazz with a solid base.

However, that plan was called into question almost immediately as trade rumors began to swirl around Mitchell. Eleven days after the Gobert trade was first reported, Adrian Wojnarowski stated that the Jazz were open to inquiries on Mitchell. It didn’t take long for the team to engage in discussions with the Knicks, and subsequent reports identified the Heat, Wizards, Raptors, Hornets, Hawks, and Kings as teams with varying levels of interest in the All-Star guard.

Just as a plan to retool around Mitchell could be justified, so too could a plan to pivot to a full-fledged rebuild. Having already traded away Gobert and Royce O’Neale for draft-heavy returns, the Jazz could go all-in on the fire sale by moving Mitchell, Bogdanovic, Beverley, and other veterans for more assets, loading up on draft picks, and charting a new course under CEO Danny Ainge and head coach Will Hardy, both of whom joined the franchise within the last year.

Taking that path would make sense for the Jazz if they have reservations about Mitchell’s ability to be a franchise player. And if that’s the case, it might be the right to move him, while he still has multiple years left on his contract and hasn’t hurt Utah’s leverage by asking for a trade and forcing the club’s hand.

Since that initial flurry of Mitchell trade rumors in July, the rumor mill has slowed down a little. By all accounts, the Jazz are asking for a massive return for Mitchell, seeking the same sort of haul of unprotected picks and solid players and contracts they were able to extract for Gobert.

If no team meets Utah’s asking price, this situation could play out in one of two ways — the Jazz, having already ventured part of the way down this road, could commit to that direction and lower their asking price for Mitchell, accepting the best offer on the table. Or they could shut down trade talks and enter the season with Mitchell on the roster, putting off the possibility of a deal until at least 2023.

Both approaches are risky. The Jazz won’t want to sell off an All-Star in his mid-20s for less than what he’s worth. But by hanging onto Mitchell, they’d run the risk of eventually being forced into trade talks on his terms down the road, should he ask out of Utah. And the closer we get to 2025 (when he can opt out of his contract), the more reluctant some teams may be to give up significant assets for Mitchell without assurances he’d re-sign.

We want to know what you think. How much longer do you expect Mitchell do remain in Utah? Will these trade talks culminate in a deal later this year, or will the Jazz end up retooling their roster around the guard like those initial reports suggested?

Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to weigh in!

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More Than 30 NBA Players On Track To Suit Up For EuroBasket

August 18th, 2022 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

The first EuroBasket tournament in five years will tip off in two weeks and there are currently 34 NBA players on track to participate in the event, representing 17 different countries, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net.

EuroBasket is a 24-team international basketball competition also known as the European Basketball Championship. It historically took place every two years, but that gap was recently adjusted to four years, emulating the FIBA World Cup schedule.

The last EuroBasket tournament was played in 2017 — the next one had been scheduled for 2021, but was pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics. As a result, after being played every two years since 1947, it has now been five years since the last EuroBasket tournament, easily the longest layoff since World War II.

It’s possible that some NBA players will be cut from their teams’ rosters or will have to drop out due to injuries or personal reasons before the event begins on September 1, but in general enthusiasm to participate in the long-awaited event appears high.

Here’s the list of NBAers currently set to play in EuroBasket, per Eurohoops:

There are also multiple NBA free agents on EuroBasket rosters, including French swingman Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and German guard Dennis Schröder.

A number of young NBA players, such as 2022 draftees Jeremy Sochan and Nikola Jovic, have dropped out to focus on getting ready for the 2022/23 season, while others, including Bogdan Bogdanovic (Serbia) and Frank Ntilikina (France), were ruled out due to injuries.

Round robin play will begin on September 1, with each team facing the other five clubs in its group once. The top four teams in each group will advance to a 16-team bracket that begins on September 10. The final will take place on September 18, just over a week before NBA training camps get underway.

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Poll: Best NBA Head Coaching Hire Of 2022

August 17th, 2022 at 12:13pm CST by Luke Adams

As we outlined in detail earlier today, four NBA teams made head coaching changes this offseason. Those changes were as follows:

  • Charlotte Hornets: Hired Steve Clifford to replace James Borrego.
  • Los Angeles Lakers: Hired Darvin Ham to replace Frank Vogel.
  • Sacramento Kings: Hired Mike Brown to replace Alvin Gentry.
  • Utah Jazz: Hired Will Hardy to replace Quin Snyder.

The Hornets and Kings, two young teams looking to get back to the playoffs, took somewhat similar approaches in their hiring processes, landing on candidates who have plenty of previous head coaching experience and who have led lottery teams to the postseason in the past.

Between them, Clifford and Brown have coached 1,200 NBA regular season games. And despite having underwhelming rosters in Charlotte and Orlando, Clifford has led his teams to the playoffs in four of eight seasons. Brown’s clubs made the postseason in six of his seven full seasons as a head coach.

The Lakers and Jazz, meanwhile, took a different path, hiring veteran assistants who are becoming head coaches for the first time.

It’s an interesting choice for the Lakers, given that they have a veteran roster and title aspirations, but they believe Ham – a former player himself – can command the respect of stars like LeBron James and Anthony Davis and won’t back down from making tough, necessary rotation decisions.

As for the Jazz, their new head coach – who is known for his player development skills – will be the league’s youngest. Hardy’s hiring was perhaps the first obvious signal that the team would be charting a new course this summer. After trading away standout center Rudy Gobert, Utah is either headed for a full-fledged rebuild or intends to reshape its roster around young star Donovan Mitchell. Taking the former route would make some sense based on Hardy’s skill set and the fact that he received a five-year contract.

Based on what you know about these four teams and their new coaches, we want to know which of this offseason’s head coaching hires you liked the best. Obviously, the expectations won’t be the same for all four coaches, so we’re taking potential long-term success and tenure into account, rather than just projecting which team will have the best record in 2022/23.

Which of these four coaches will be the most successful in his new job? Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!

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2022 NBA Head Coaching Carousel Recap

August 17th, 2022 at 10:46am CST by Luke Adams

Over the last couple months, NBA teams have been overhauling their rosters, signing free agents, making trades, and locking up their draft picks to contracts. Prior to the draft and free agency though, a handful of teams completed another major offseason change that shouldn’t be overlooked — four NBA clubs named a new head coach.

Here’s a recap of this offseason’s head coaching changes and a brief look at how they played out:

Charlotte Hornets

  • Hired: Steve Clifford (story)
  • Replaced: James Borrego (story)
  • Contract details: Three-year deal (two guaranteed seasons, third-year team option)
  • Other candidates who reportedly interviewed or received consideration: Kenny Atkinson, Mike D’Antoni, Darvin Ham, Charles Lee, Terry Stotts, Sean Sweeney, David Vanterpool, Frank Vogel

While it didn’t receive as much fanfare as some of this spring’s other head coaching searches, the Hornets’ hiring process was easily the most eventful of the bunch. After dismissing Borrego due to Charlotte’s defensive shortcomings and a failure to make its first and only play-in game competitive in either of the last two seasons, the team embarked on a hunt for an experienced replacement.

Atkinson, D’Antoni, and Stotts were reported to be finalists, with the decision coming down to Atkinson and D’Antoni. The Hornets offered Atkinson the job and he accepted, but eight days later, word broke that he had reneged on the agreement between the two sides, sending Charlotte back to square one.

Rather than returning to D’Antoni or Stotts, the Hornets pivoted in another direction, opting for a reunion with Clifford, who coached the club from 2013-18.

By hiring not just a former NBA head coach but one who coached the Hornets only four years ago, the organization certainly opened itself up to criticism for going the “retread” route. But Clifford had more success in his five seasons in Charlotte than any other head coach has in recent team history. Since reentering the NBA in 2004, Charlotte has made the playoffs just three times since then, and two of those postseason berths came during Clifford’s tenure.

Los Angeles Lakers

  • Hired: Darvin Ham (story)
  • Replaced: Frank Vogel (story)
  • Contract details: Four-year deal
  • Other candidates who reportedly interviewed or received consideration: Kenny Atkinson, Adrian Griffin, Mark Jackson, Charles Lee, Terry Stotts

Vogel’s firing had been rumored since the first half of the 2021/22 season, so it came as no surprise when he was quickly let go following the end of the regular season. He led the Lakers to a championship less than two years ago, but the team’s 33-49 showing in ’21/22 was so disappointing that he became an obvious fall guy.

The Lakers were linked to a number of high-profile candidates during their search – they reportedly had interest in Nick Nurse, Doc Rivers, Quin Snyder, and Juwan Howard – but eventually focused on a handful of more realistic options.. They narrowed their finalists to Ham, Stotts, and Atkinson, then chose Ham, the only one of the three without any prior head coaching experience.

A veteran assistant who was on the Lakers’ staff from 2011-13 and then plied his trade under Mike Budenholzer in Atlanta and Milwaukee, Ham should bring a fresh perspective to a roster that didn’t mesh well last season. L.A. will be hoping he can make the same sort of immediate impact that former players and first-time head coaches Ime Udoka and Willie Green did last season in Boston and New Orleans, respectively.

Sacramento Kings

  • Hired: Mike Brown (story)
  • Replaced: Alvin Gentry (story)
  • Contract details: Four-year deal
  • Other candidates who reportedly interviewed or received consideration: Steve Clifford, Mike D’Antoni, Darvin Ham, Will Hardy, Mark Jackson, Charles Lee

Gentry, who replaced Luke Walton during the first half of the 2021/22 season, previously stuck around following interim stints in Detroit and Phoenix to become those teams’ permanent head coaches. But after leading the Kings to an underwhelming 24-41 record to close out the season, he was unable to replicate that feat in Sacramento.

One report early in the Kings’ search process indicated they were seeking out a candidate who had experience turning a lottery team into a playoff club and who could improve Sacramento’s defense. The team ultimately landed on Brown, who achieved the first of those requirements in Cleveland and has a reputation as a defensive-minded coach.

Brown’s previous head coaching stints have been a mixed bag. He led the Cavs to an outstanding 272-138 (.663) regular season record from 2005-10, but the team only made two deep playoff runs during that time — once to the Eastern Finals and once to the NBA Finals. He then had brief stints with the Lakers (71 games) and Cavs again (82 games) before serving as an assistant in Golden State for several years.

His time spent honing his coaching skills as part of the Warriors’ championship teams will be put to the test in Sacramento, where he’ll be tasked with getting the Kings back to the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

Utah Jazz

  • Hired: Will Hardy (story)
  • Replaced: Quin Synder (story)
  • Contract details: Five-year deal
  • Other candidates who reportedly interviewed or received consideration: Jerome Allen, Johnnie Bryant, Sam Cassell, Adrian Griffin, Alex Jensen, Charles Lee, Joe Mazzulla, Chris Quinn, Lamar Skeeter, Terry Stotts, Sean Sweeney, Jason Terry, Frank Vogel, Kevin Young

Speculation about Snyder’s future began well before the Jazz were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, but he didn’t formally step down until June 5, over a month after Utah’s season came to an end.

Getting a late start on their coaching search didn’t dissuade the Jazz from exercising a patient approach and casting a wide net. Danny Ainge and Justin Zanik interviewed 14 candidates for the position, reportedly focusing on coaches who were highly regarded for their player development skills and defensive acumen.

Utah’s eventual choice was an interesting one. Hardy came from Ainge’s old team in Boston, though the two didn’t overlap at all — Hardy only joined the Celtics’ coaching staff in 2021 after serving as an assistant under Gregg Popovich in San Antonio for several years.

The 34-year-old Hardy becomes the NBA’s youngest active head coach and received a five-year contract, the longest deal of any of this year’s new head coaches. The long-term agreement signals the Jazz have confidence in him to lead the team for years to come, even – or perhaps especially – if they pivot to a rebuild by trading not only Rudy Gobert but Donovan Mitchell.

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Knicks, Jazz Re-Engage In Donovan Mitchell Discussions

August 16th, 2022 at 2:03pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks and Jazz have been back in touch about Donovan Mitchell within the past week, according to Shams Charania and Tony Jones of The Athletic, who report that the two teams have had a “fresh trade conversation” about what a deal sending Mitchell to New York might look like.

As Charania and Jones explain, the Knicks and Jazz had serious discussions during the Las Vegas Summer League in mid-July about a Mitchell trade, but those talks reached an impasse and had been dormant for a few weeks.

Although the Knicks have made their interest in Mitchell “abundantly clear” throughout the summer, there’s still no serious traction toward a deal, per The Athletic’s duo. Sources tell Charania and Jones that the Hornets and Wizards remain among the teams in pursuit of Mitchell. Charania reported in late July that those two Southeast teams had recently engaged with New York.

Previous reports have indicated that the Jazz are seeking a return for Mitchell that’s similar to – or greater than – the haul they received from Minnesota in exchange for Rudy Gobert. Although the Knicks have a surplus of first-round picks from previous trades, it’s unclear whether they – or any other suitors – are prepared to meet Utah’s asking price.

According to Charania and Jones, the Jazz have conveyed that they’re comfortable keeping the All-Star guard on the roster this season, since he still has three years remaining on his contract (plus a fourth-year player option). For his part, Mitchell hasn’t made any sort of trade demand and is believed to be fine with with either staying in Utah or being dealt elsewhere, sources tell The Athletic.

We’re still six weeks away from the start of training camps and nine weeks away from opening night, so the Jazz have plenty of time to consider their options before the 2022/23 season tips off.

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NBA To Release Full 2022/23 Schedule On Wednesday

August 16th, 2022 at 9:04am CST by Luke Adams

9:04am: The NBA’s schedule announcement is set for 3:00 pm Eastern time (2:00 pm CT) on Wednesday, the league has confirmed (via Twitter).

7:50am: The NBA will announce its full schedule for the 2022/23 regular season on Wednesday, league sources tell veteran reporter Marc Stein (Twitter link).

A handful of key matchups on the coming season’s schedule have been reported in recent days, including all five Christmas Day games and a Warriors/Lakers season opener.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), the Celtics and Sixers will also play in Boston on opening night, which will fall on Tuesday, October 18.

Other newly reported matchups from the NBA’s opening week include the Suns hosting the Mavericks on October 19 after being blown out in Phoenix in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals by that same Dallas team (Twitter link via Charania); and the new-look Timberwolves hosting Rudy Gobert‘s old team, the Jazz, on October 21 (Twitter link via Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports). The Wolves will visit Utah for the first time on December 9, Haynes reports.

The fact that the season will officially begin on October 18 means that Monday, October 17 will be a key deadline to watch. That will be the last day for teams to set their 15-man rosters for the regular season, to convert Exhibit 10 contracts into two-way deals, to complete sign-and-trades, and to sign players to rookie scale extensions.

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Todd: Trading Mitchell Is Team's Best Option

August 15th, 2022 at 10:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

There are plenty of good reasons why the Jazz need to trade Donovan Mitchell and go into full rebuild mode, Sarah Todd of the Deseret News opines.

Even with the assets acquired in the Rudy Gobert deal with Minnesota, the Jazz still aren’t good enough to be a true contender in the stacked Western Conference, says Todd. And even if they flipped those assets and tried to acquire another star like Kevin Durant, they wouldn’t be good enough to win it all. Wallowing in mediocrity would only serve to frustrate Mitchell and force the organization to deal him at a later date, Todd adds.

  • How much will Gobert impact the Timberwolves? The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski picks the brain of colleague Tony Jones, who covered Gobert in Utah. Jones believes Minnesota has more defenders with length and athleticism around Gobert than the Jazz ever had. That will make the Timberwolves a very good team the next couple of years, though there’s some risk of decline near the end of his contract, which runs through the 2025/26 season.
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Exploring How Simone Fontecchio Recently Excelled Against Rudy Gobert

August 14th, 2022 at 8:19pm CST by JD Shaw
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Joe Mazzulla Talks About Being A Finalist In The Jazz Head Coaching Search

August 14th, 2022 at 10:40am CST by Arthur Hill
  • Patrick Beverley, who was shipped from the Timberwolves to the Jazz in the Rudy Gobert trade, disagrees with anyone who believes he was disrespected in Minnesota. Many observers were surprised to see the veteran guard moved after he helped to install a culture of toughness that enabled the Wolves to reach the playoffs, but Beverley is at peace with his time in Minnesota. “It took me five months to make $13MM,” said Beverley, who got that amount on a one-year extension in February. “Y’all can say they did me wrong. I say they did me right.” (video link from Pro City Hoops).
  • Celtics assistant Joe Mazzulla seemed like an unusual choice to be among the finalists for the Jazz head coaching job, but he told Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe that it’s how Utah CEO Danny Ainge operates. Mazzulla didn’t have a role on the front of Boston’s bench before being promoted this summer, but Ainge sees potential in him. “It was definitely surprising, but I think because Danny is Danny and a creative guy in how he thinks outside the box, that made it less surprising,” Mazzulla said. “Not many people think the way he does.”
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