The NBA placed restrictions on Jerry Colangelo after the Sixers hired him as chairman of basketball operations in December, sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. Rival executives were concerned about Colangelo’s access to star players as USA Basketball’s managing director, fearing he would have an advantage in courting top free agents, Wojnarowski continues. The limitations include Colangelo’s ability to communicate directly with players outside of USA Basketball activities, as well as his impact on the final voting process for national team and Olympic rosters, league sources indicated to Wojnarowski. The limitations will remain in place even though he relinquished his title as the Sixers’ chairman of basketball operations after his son Bryan was hired as president of basketball operations. Jerry Colangelo will now serve as a special adviser to the team’s ownership group, Wojnarowski notes.
In other developments around the league:
- Timothe Luwawu, a lottery-level prospect from France, has no intention of withdrawing from the draft in the wake of agent Misko Raznatovic’s announcement earlier today that he’s entered, tweets international journalist David Pick. “I’m ready,” Luwawu told Pick. “I’m going to the NBA.” The swingman is the No. 12 prospect in Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress rankings, while Chad Ford of ESPN.com lists him 19th.
- Marquette freshman power forward Henry Ellenson has signed with agent Joe Branch of Roc Nation, Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops tweets. Ellenson, who declared for the draft earlier this month, is the No. 6 prospect on Ford’s Big Board, while Givony ranks him at No. 9.
- Donatas Motiejunas started Sunday’s game for the Rockets, his 20th of the season and 82nd since the start of 2014/15, enough to trigger the NBA’s starter criteria, as we explained Friday. That means the Rockets will have to make a qualifying offer worth $4,433,683 instead of just $3,278,998 by June 30th to retain the right to match competing bids for the power forward, who’s headed into free agency.
- Bob Donewald, Jr. will not return next season as the head coach of the Grizzlies’ D-League affiliate, the Iowa Energy, the team announced on its website. Donewald compiled a 52-48 record with the Energy, including a 26-24 record this season.
- The Cavaliers recalled center Sasha Kaun and shooting guard Jordan McRae from their D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge, according to the team’s website. They had been assigned to the Charge earlier in the day. The pair will be reassigned to the Charge on Tuesday, Josh Weir of The Repository tweets.