Blazers Down To Three Head Coaching Finalists?
The Trail Blazers are still considering three candidates for their head coaching vacancy, according to Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).
The finalists who remain in the running, per Fischer and Stein, are Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, Celtics assistant Tyler Lashbrook, and Portland’s own interim coach Tiago Splitter.
Those coaches were identified last month as three of the five finalists for the Blazers’ job, along with Clippers assistant Jeff Van Gundy and Jazz assistant Mike Williams. Sources tell The Stein Line that Van Gundy and Williams didn’t advance to the final stage of Portland’s head coaching search.
Assuming another finalist isn’t added to the mix at the 11th hour, it sounds like one of Nori, Lashbrook, or Splitter will become the Trail Blazers’ permanent head coach. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean a decision is imminent.
As Fischer and Stein explain, Portland’s process has been slowed to some extent by the Carolina Hurricanes’ run to the NHL’s Stanley Cup finals. Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon also owns the Hurricanes, who will be looking to get on the board in their series against Las Vegas on Thursday after losing Game 1 on Tuesday.
The Trail Blazers’ coaching search began before their season was over, with Dundon reaching out to candidates while Splitter was attempting to get his team past San Antonio in the first round. Portland technically still hasn’t formally parted ways with Chauncey Billups, who opened the 2025/26 season on the team’s bench, but he was arrested in October in connection with an illegal gambling investigation and isn’t expected to ever coach another game for the Blazers.
Splitter, initially an assistant under Billups, took over one game into the regular season and led the Blazers to a 42-39 record the rest of the way. The team earned the No. 7 seed with a play-in win over Phoenix and then fell to the Spurs in five games in the Western Conference quarterfinals.
Dundon’s decision to look for Splitter’s potential replacement before the season ended reportedly rubbed some potential targets the wrong way, and rumors that the new Blazers owner was looking to pay his new coach a salary well below the going rate likely didn’t help matters, though the team pushed back on those reports.
For what it’s worth, neither Nori nor Lashbrook has NBA head coaching experience, and Splitter’s stint filling in for Billups this season represented his first NBA head coaching job. In other words, it’s unlikely that any of those three candidates would have the leverage to negotiate a high-end salary.
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Latest On Mavericks’ Head Coaching Search
We haven’t heard much about the Mavericks‘ head coaching search in the two-plus weeks since the team parted ways with Jason Kidd, but league sources tell Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link) that Dallas has begun seeking permission to speak to candidates for the job.
The expectation, according to Fischer and Stein, is that the Mavs will interview a dozen or so candidates before making a decision.
Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, Rockets assistant Royal Ivey, Raptors assistant Jama Mahlalela, Celtics assistant Tony Dobbins, and Heat consultant Noah LaRoche are among the coaches the Mavericks have either already registered interest in or plan to reach out to soon, sources tell The Stein Line.
Veteran coach Terry Stotts, who isn’t remaining in his position on Steve Kerr‘s staff in Golden State, is also expected to interview for the position, Fischer and Stein add, noting that Stotts – who has previous head coaching experience with Atlanta, Milwaukee, and Portland – currently only has interest in head coaching jobs.
Former Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney was among the potential targets on Dallas’ radar, but he was already far down the road on a deal with the Magic by the time the Mavs reached out and has since been officially hired by Orlando, per The Stein Line.
While the most likely outcome is that the Mavericks hire a coach from the NBA ranks, there have been some exploratory conversations to see whether college coaches like Duke’s Jon Scheyer, who previously coached Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, or Michigan’s Dusty May would have any interest in the Dallas job, Fischer and Stein report. For what it’s worth, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints previously reported that Scheyer is “fully locked in” with the Blue Devils and isn’t interested in leaving Duke at this time, so he’s unlikely to emerge as a legitimate candidate for the Mavs.
According to Fischer and Stein, there’s an expectation that new Mavs president Masai Ujiri, who hired Darko Rajakovic in Toronto, will keep an eye on European options and perhaps explore potential options in the women’s game as well.
Ujiri, who was hired by the Mavs earlier this spring, said in May that he expects the coaching search to be “very comprehesive” and to turn over “every stone.”
“I think our minds are very open,” Ujiri said at the time. “We’re going to look everywhere. …We will really try to look at what’s best for this organization, be it first-time, be it experienced, be it college, be it European. Everywhere. Whatever is best for this organization going forward is what we are going to look at.”
Sixers Officially Name Mike Gansey President Of Basketball Operations
The Sixers have officially announced the hiring of Mike Gansey, confirming today in a press release that the former Cavaliers executive will hold the title of president of basketball operations in Philadelphia.
Word broke last week that Gansey was the 76ers’ choice to run their front office in the wake of Daryl Morey‘s dismissal earlier this spring.
“Today’s announcement of the hiring of Mike Gansey is an important step in our desire to take the Philadelphia 76ers to the next level,” Sixers managing partner Josh Harris said in a statement. “Mike has built a reputation as a tremendous leader and relentless worker who has a sharp eye for basketball talent. We are excited to welcome he and his family to Philadelphia. I look forward to the work he, (Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment president of sports) Bob Myers, and (head coach) Nick Nurse will do to build a contender for this city and our fans.”
Myers also put out a statement in which he said Gansey “really stood out” during the Sixers’ search for a new head of basketball operations and possesses the qualities the team was looking for in its next front office leader.
“He commands respect, has an impressive basketball IQ, and is well respected across players, coaches, and fellow executives,” Myers said. “He has all the attributes necessary to shine in this role.”
Gansey had been working for the Cavaliers for the past decade and a half. He was promoted in 2022 to a general manager role under president of basketball operations Koby Altman after previously spending five years as an assistant GM. We shared several more details on Gansey’s résumé and background in our initial story on his hiring, which you can read here.
In his own statement, Gansey thanked the Cavaliers, including Altman and team owner Dan Gilbert, and expressed enthusiasm about his new opportunity in Philadelphia.
“I want to extend my sincere gratitude to Josh Harris, (Sixers managing partner) David Blitzer, and Bob Myers for entrusting me with this incredible opportunity with such an iconic franchise,” he said. “This organization, much like the City of Philadelphia, is deeply rooted in its history and passion, and I am extremely excited to get started.
“To the fans, this is not a responsibility I take lightly. The energy and dedication you pour into the 76ers will fuel us, and the work begins immediately as we position ourselves for the draft, free agency, next season, and beyond.”
According to the Sixers, they’ll hold an introductory press conference for Gansey on Monday at 10:00 am Eastern time.
Knicks Notes: Brunson, Hart, Shamet, Robinson
Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson got off to a slow start in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, scoring just three points on 1-of-7 shooting in the first quarter while committing a pair of turnovers. He also got banged up during the first half of the contest, briefly heading to the locker room near the end of the first quarter to get checked out after taking a shot to his right knee, then getting his ankle stepped on during the second quarter.
However, Brunson ultimately played his usual role of closer for the Knicks, scoring 13 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter to help the club secure a 105-95 victory and take a 1-0 lead in the series. The performance helped continue to secure his place among the Knicks’ all-time greats, as Walt Frazier told Ian O’Connor of The Athletic.
“He’s got the tenacity of Willis Reed and he’s got my cool,” Frazier said. “… Jalen kept struggling through it, and you could see he was hurting. Kudos to the coach for keeping him out there and thinking Jalen can still get it back.”
As O’Connor writes, the win represented another step toward proving that Brunson can become the rare “small” guard to lead his team to a championship. He’s three victories away from joining stars like Isiah Thomas and Stephen Curry in that exclusive group.
“Jalen is absolutely good enough to win it all,” Thomas said prior to Game 1, per O’Connor. “As small players, we tend to get overlooked even though we’re always beating bigger players. In people’s minds there seems to be some height and weight requirement to win a championship. Jalen won (an Illinois) state title in high school. He won two national titles in college, and now he’s in the NBA Finals. He’s just a winner.
“People say, ‘Well, Jalen’s not as good as this one or that one,’ but when you put him between the lines with those guys, his teams win and those guys’ teams lose. What the hell are we doubting Jalen for? People say he doesn’t have the height or body type, but he beats all the people who do have those things.”
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Wednesday’s contest was a quintessential Josh Hart game, according to Zach Braziller of The New York Post, who notes that the versatile forward had a major impact despite only scoring three points on 1-of-5 shooting. In just 27 minutes of action, Hart grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds while adding six assists and four steals. The Knicks outscored the Spurs by 22 points when he was on the floor. “That’s just who he is. He’s always been that way. I can’t explain it,” Brunson said of his longtime Knicks and Villanova teammate. “He just has a knack for doing things like that, and in crucial times as well. It’s a credit to who he is as a player.”
- Only Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns played more minutes than Landry Shamet (33) in Wednesday’s win, as the reserve wing continued an impressive postseason run by scoring 13 points and earning praise from head coach Mike Brown for his defense, per Howie Kussoy of The New York Post. Shamet was out of the rotation early in the postseason but has been a critical contributor in recent weeks as he increases his value ahead of unrestricted free agency.
- Knicks center Mitchell Robinson, who had two points and six rebounds in 13 minutes of action off the bench in Game 1, didn’t seem to be limited despite undergoing surgery to repair a fifth metacarpal fracture less than a week ago, writes Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. “I didn’t think he was (limited),” Brown said. “I’ve got to go back and watch the tape. He caught a lob. He was still a vertical threat. … And then defensively, I thought he was pretty good as well, trying to rebound, keeping those guys off the glass.” How Robinson sustained the injury remains a mystery — he declined comment when asked after the game, telling reporters that he’s “here for basketball.”
Silver Discusses NBA Europe, Clippers Investigation, Expansion, More
Commissioner Adam Silver declared during his annual press conference prior to the Finals opener that the NBA’s plans for a European league are on schedule, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press reports.
The overseas league is part of a joint effort involving the NBA and FIBA, the sport’s global governing body.
“We are very much on schedule,” Silver said. “It is our hope and anticipation that that league will launch in the ’27-28 season in Europe. We are on track. Final bids from franchises are due at the end of this month, at the end of the month in June. We’ve seen record interest and we’re very excited about the ongoing opportunity and working closely with FIBA, our federation.”
Silver said the NBA and its players’ union still need to decide whether current players can be investors in NBA Europe franchises, according to The Athletic’s Joe Vardon. Lakers star Luka Doncic is part of an investor group headed by former Mavericks general manager Donnie Nelson that is seeking to bring a team to Rome as part of NBA Europe. Current NBA players are banned from being part of ownership groups for domestic franchises.
Silver’s office confirmed that it has had discussions with Doncic about his interest in NBA Europe, but insisted there has been no determination yet whether players can invest in NBA Europe teams, Vardon adds.
Here’s more from Silver’s press conference:
- The lengthy investigation to determine whether the Clippers attempted to circumvent the salary by arranging an alleged no-show job for Kawhi Leonard with a now-defunct environmental company is “close to the point now where I think we need to wrap this up.” Law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, has been investigating since September. The Clippers, owner Steve Ballmer, and Leonard have repeatedly said they did nothing wrong. “The most important thing is that we get it right,” Silver said. “I certainly hear many things all the time about the perception of what really happened or didn’t happen here. I wouldn’t be doing my job if, ultimately, I issue (his) determination based on perception. My job is to follow the facts.” Silver could punish the Clippers by fining them, stripping away future draft picks, or even voiding Leonard’s contract.
- There’s no major update on the NBA’s formal plans to explore expansion in Seattle and Las Vegas. Silver said simply that “discussions are ongoing.” Multiple groups, Silver added, are interested in having teams in those cities. Silver wants a final decision on expansion by the end of the year. “It’s not a foregone conclusion that we will expand … but what we’ve told all interested parties is our Board will make a decision by the end of this calendar year,” Silver said.
- Silver said the league needed to pass lottery reform because tanking had become “acceptable behavior,” ESPN’s Tim Bontemps relays. “Tanking is not a new issue for this league,” Silver said. “I think maybe what surprised us all a little bit is how quickly it became acceptable behavior in this league. I think it used to be limited, frankly, to a small group of teams. I think there was — I think I could genuinely stand up and talk about rebuilding and not say ‘tanking,’ and it was practiced in a different way. I don’t know how else to say it. We found ourselves in a situation this year where all of a sudden it seemed like a third of the league maybe was responding in what an economist would say is very rational behavior but nontraditional behavior in terms of what they saw as a clear incentive to fall to the bottom of the standings. And it maybe or likely was compounded by the fact that there’s a perception of a very deep draft class this year. But we ultimately concluded that we needed to take immediate action.”
- The league is still looking into ways to honor former commissioner David Stern, who died six years ago. “I almost think there’s nothing that we can do in some ways that will ultimately feel that he’s getting his just due. … We’re going to come up with the right way to honor him,” Silver said.
Pistons Notes: Dosunmu, Duren, Thompson, Cunningham, Okorie
The Pistons pursued Ayo Dosunmu at the trade deadline, but the asking price was too high, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic reports. The Timberwolves gave up young guard Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller and four second-round picks to the Bulls in exchange for Dosunmu and Julian Phillips. Dosunmu is headed to unrestricted free agency, which factored into Detroit’s thinking about not overpaying for the talented guard.
Patterson addressed a number of other topics in his mailbag article, including Jalen Duren‘s restricted free agency and potential trade targets for Detroit this summer.
Here’s more on the Pistons:
- Despite his offensive limitations, Ausar Thompson is an irreplaceable core player as he becomes eligible for a rookie scale extension, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press writes. The Defensive Player of the Year finalist could command a contract similar to the one the Magic’s Jalen Suggs received, Sankofa continues. Suggs signed a five-year deal worth $150.5MM before the start of the 2024/25 season. ESPN’s Bobby Marks recently predicted a five-year extension worth $162MM for Thompson, given his ability to guard anyone on the floor. The front office is hopeful of getting both Duren and Thompson signed this offseason.
- Cade Cunningham‘s strong finish after suffering a collapsed lung late in the regular season added to his superstar trajectory, Sankofa writes for The Free Press. Cunningham averaged 28.1 points, 7.5 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 40.2% from three during the playoffs. Cunningham was named to the All-NBA First Team. He could meet the super-max (ie. Designated Veteran) criteria if he earns All-NBA honors again in 2027. That would make him eligible for a maximum-salary extension worth up to 35% of the cap instead of 30% on his next contract.
- The Pistons hosted Stanford guard Ebuka Okorie for a pre-draft workout on Wednesday, Patterson tweets. Detroit has the No. 21 overall pick but nothing in the second round, unless it makes a trade. Okorie could be a consideration at that spot — he’s currently ranked No. 27 on ESPN’s Best Available list. Okorie averaged 23.2 points per game in his one-and-done season with the Cardinal.
Mitchell Robinson Will Play In Game 1
7:01 pm: Robinson will play in Game 1, James Edwards III of The Athletic tweets.
12:o1 pm: Knicks center Mitchell Robinson fully participated in Tuesday’s practice and is expected to be available for Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday in San Antonio, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
While it remains unclear how exactly he sustained the injury, which didn’t occur didn’t a game or practice, Robinson fractured the fifth metacarpal bone in his right hand following the team’s Eastern Conference finals win over Cleveland and underwent surgery last week to repair the break.
Similar injuries typically require recovery periods of at least two weeks and sometimes much more than that, but Robinson has been repeatedly described as determined to suit up for the Knicks when the series gets underway. Videos from the practice court on Tuesday showed the big man shooting, passing, and dribbling the ball with his affected hand while wearing a protective wrap.
Robinson was listed on Tuesday as questionable to play in Game 1 and that designation has yet to be officially updated, but Charania’s reporting suggests he’s on track to be upgraded to available later in the day.
A member of the Knicks since 2018, Robinson is no longer the team’s starting center and averaged just 19.6 minutes per game during the regular season. However, he remains very valuable as a situation role player who can impact the game with his rebounding and rim protection, so it would be a boon to New York if he’s able to give the team some productive minutes against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs.
In 13 playoff appearances, Robinson has averaged 5.3 points and 5.5 rebounds in 14.2 minutes per game. Head coach Mike Brown has had to be extra careful about how he uses the 28-year-old to limit the extent to which opponents can exploit his poor free throw shooting. Robinson has made just 13-of-43 shots (30.2%) from the foul line during the postseason.
Pacers Notes: Trade/FA Targets, Nembhard, Pre-Draft Workouts
The Pacers aren’t expected to make a major trade this summer after acquiring Ivica Zubac at February’s trade deadline. However, there are some lower-level acquisitions they could make this offseason and the Indianapolis Star’s Dustin Dopirak explores which players they might pursue.
If the Pacers prioritize a scoring option, they could go after a player like Malik Monk or Max Strus. Dopirak anticipates it would require Jarace Walker and Ben Sheppard to make such a deal a reality. Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe could also be available if Oklahoma City decides to offload some salary.
Dalton Knecht and Saddiq Bey could be options to fill that role without sacrificing a top-eight player, Dopirak notes. Khris Middleton, Anfernee Simons, Kevin Huerter, Quentin Grimes, Kelly Oubre, Ayo Dosunmu and Bones Hyland are among the players who could be targeted with Indiana’s non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
Here’s more on the Pacers:
- Guard Andrew Nembhard played in 57 games and averaged a career high 31.3 minutes per night in 2025/26. His counting stats rose but his intangibles are just as crucial to the team’s success, Tony East writes in a CircleCitySpin.com piece. “I think I’ve always been a guy who tries to lead by example and go out there and show I can compete,” Nembhard said. “But I think this year I was put in a position where I had to voice my opinion more, kind of rally the troops in a way.” Nembhard is entering the second season of a three-year, $58.65MM contract.
- The Pacers will hold their third and fourth pre-draft workouts on Thursday and Friday, respectively, according to a team press release. Thursday’s workout includes John Camden (California), Melvin Council (Kansas), Tamin Lipsey (Iowa State), Corey Stephenson (Florida International), Malik Thomas (Virginia), and Jalen Warley (Gonzaga).
- Their Friday workout includes Sam Alexis (Indiana), Chris Bell (California), Kylan Boswell (Illinois), Maliq Brown (Duke), Isaac McKneely (Louisville), and Braden Smith (Purdue). Indiana currently doesn’t have a pick in this year’s draft, but a trade could change that. The team also figures to be active after the draft adding rookie free agents on Exhibit 10 and/or two-way deals.
Western Notes: Suns, Mavs, Burries, Giannis, Westbrook
The Suns have numerous decisions to make regarding their own free agents, Spotrac’s Keith Smith notes in his offseason preview.
Mark Williams will be a restricted free agent and Phoenix should tread cautiously, according to Smith, who writes that Williams is a solid but not overly impactful center and has a lengthy injury history. The big man could wind up signing his $9.6MM qualifying offer.
The fact that Phoenix holds Early Bird rights on guards Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin should allow the front office to give them competitive offers and retain the duo. Smith anticipates something in the range of $40MM over four years as a solid baseline for Gillespie and views a three-year, $18MM offer as fair value for Goodwin.
As for a potential extension for Dillon Brooks, Smith notes he turned 30 in January and thus the franchise shouldn’t get carried away. A four-year, $100MM contract should be considered a fair offer.
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- The Mavericks should seriously consider Arizona freshman guard Brayden Burries with their lottery pick at No. 9, James Piercey of Dallas Hoops Journal writes. Burries made 39.1% of his three-point tries during his one-and-done season with the Wildcats, in which he averaged 16.1 points per game. With Cooper Flagg serving as a point forward, Burries could be an ideal complement to the team’s franchise player. Burries is also a stout point-of-attack defender, Piercey adds.
- The Trail Blazers should make an aggressive trade proposal to the Bucks to win the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, Bill Oram of The Oregonian opines in a subscriber-only column. While Portland showed some growth this season, the Blazers need a star talent to make them true contenders. Oram believes that if a smaller market club has a chance to add a proven superstar, it must go all-in on that opportunity. Oram also notes the Trail Blazers have a built-in advantage — they control Milwaukee’s first-round picks from 2028 to 2030.
- Russell Westbrook, who played his first 11 seasons with the Thunder organization, is giving back to the Oklahoma City community. He returned to the city on Monday for the groundbreaking ceremony of the multi-purpose stadium that’s set to open in 2028, according to The Oklahoman’s Joe Mussatto. Westbrook teamed up with Christian Kanady, the founder and CEO of Echo Investment Capital, to develop the surrounding stadium district. The 10,000-seat outdoor venue will be the home of Oklahoma City’s pro soccer and football teams, which will compete in the United Soccer League and United Football League, respectively. Westbrook is headed to unrestricted free agency this summer.