2016 May | Hoops Rumors

Wolves Announce Multiple Front Office Changes

May 20th, 2016 at 6:03pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Timberwolves are under new management in Tom Thibodeau and Scott Layden. As is often the case with new regimes, they wish to bring in their own people to surround themselves with. In keeping with that theme, the team has announced via press release that a number of front office personnel have been let go from their respective positions. The franchise did not name any replacements in its official statement:

“Effective immediately, the following individuals will be relieved of their respective duties: previous General Manager Milt Newton, Vice President of Basketball Operations Rob Babcock, Vice President of Sports Performance Arnie Kander, assistant coach Sid Lowe, Director of Sports Performance Koichi Sato, Manager of Team Travel/Facilities Coordinator Bill Hohenecker, Head of Video Department and Manager of Basketball Technology Brice Long and Scouts Milton Barnes and Jason Hervey. We Would like to thank all of these individuals for their contributions to our organization and wish them well in their future endeavors.”

Team owner Glen Taylor had stated back in March that Newton would be in charge of the draft and free agency for the team this summer, but that was well in advance of Thibodeau being hired. Newton wasn’t assured of holding onto his post beyond this season anyway, after he inherited the role this past fall upon the death of president of basketball operations Flip Saunders. One potential landing spot for Newton is in Washington, where he had previously served as vice president of player personnel for the Wizards, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets.

Northwest Notes: Olshey, Jazz, Hield

May 20th, 2016 at 4:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey acknowledged that the organization has traditionally had difficulty landing upper-tier free agents, Jen Beyrle of The Oregonian relays. “It’s absolutely a hurdle. Whenever we get that first guy to come, it will be unprecedented when you look at the history,” said Olshey. “I think we’ve gotten good free agents. We’ve gotten guys but they’ve had the right sensibility and we knew that they would work in this market place and would fit with the team.” Olshey noted that last year’s free agent crop elected to join playoff teams, which hurt Portland’s recruiting efforts, but pointed to the team reaching the second round of the 2015/16 postseason as a boon heading into the offseason.

The executive isn’t letting frustrations of the past color his attitude this offseason, noting that the franchise will be extremely aggressive in the free agent market this summer, the team relayed (on Twitter). Here’s more from the Northwest Division:

The Jazz have a workout scheduled on Saturday for Ryan Arcidiacono (Villanova), Nathan Boothe (Toledo), Michael Carrera (South Carolina), Vince Edwards (Purdue), Retin Obasohan (Alabama) and Malik Pope (San Diego State), the team announced.
New Wolves coach/executive Tom Thibodeau has offered Travelle Gaines, who is Bulls swingman Jimmy Butler’s personal trainer, a post as the team’s strength and conditioning coach, Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago tweets.
The Timberwolves hold the No. 5 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft and Jim Souhan of The Star Tribune makes the case for the team to select former Oklahoma shooting guard Buddy Hield. The scribe opines that Hield is the best available combination of talent, maturity and polish available where the team’s pick falls.

Magic Hire Frank Vogel

May 20th, 2016 at 4:15pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Bill Streicher / USA TODAY Sports Images

FRIDAY, 4:15pm: The hiring of Vogel is official, the team announced via press release. “While we were conducting our search, it became very evident that Frank is a terrific fit for our organization,” said Hennigan. “He is a strong, hard-working and experienced leader, who will continue to instill smart, physical, unselfish and defensive-minded basketball in our group. We welcome him into the Magic family, as we move forward in a positive direction.”

5:03pm: Orlando hopes to retain Griffin as the top assistant on Vogel’s staff, Wojnarowski tweets.

4:54pm: Vogel will receive a four-year deal worth approximately $22MM, David Aldridge of NBA.com reports (Twitter link).

THURSDAY, 2:53pm: The Magic have reached an agreement in principal with Frank Vogel that will make him their new head coach, Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel reports (on Twitter). The length and terms of the proposed arrangement are not yet known. Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reported earlier today that the two sides were nearing an agreement.

Orlando was scrambling to recover from former coach Scott Skiles‘ sudden resignation and were said to be targeting a coach with a track record of developing young players and who was a strong defensive coach. “Sort of the fulcrum of what we’re looking for,” GM Rob Hennigan said, “is someone who puts an emphasis on the defensive end of the floor, someone who puts an emphasis on player development and also someone who puts an emphasis on building lasting connections with the players on our roster.” The GM didn’t specifically say that description fit Vogel, but the coach certainly did well developing a young Indiana squad into an Eastern Conference contender during his time with the Pacers.

The Pacers went 250-181 in parts of six seasons under Vogel, who inherited the head coaching job, his first in the NBA, when the Pacers parted ways with Jim O’Brien in January of 2011. That record doesn’t include his postseason mark of 31-30, with Indiana making back-to-back conference finals under Vogel in 2013 and 2014.

Orlando also interviewed former Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff, Trail Blazers assistant David Vanterpool and current Magic assistant Adrian Griffin. Griffin was reportedly Vogel’s stiffest competition for the post, with the assistant speaking formally with team officials on Tuesday. The team is reportedly extremely fond of Griffin, but the front office was intrigued by Vogel’s résumé and the fact that he is an established NBA head coach, a claim that Griffin cannot make. Griffin has been considered a prime head coaching candidate around the NBA for the last few years, reportedly interviewing with the Blazers in 2012, the Pistons and twice with the Sixers in 2013, and the Jazz twice as well as the Cavs in 2014.

Poll: 2016 Community Mock Draft (Pick No. 3)

May 20th, 2016 at 3:16pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The 2016 NBA Draft lottery was held on Tuesday night and the Sixers finally landed the elusive No. 1 overall pick after missing out the past two seasons. Now that the exact draft order is locked in, teams can begin targeting specific players who are likely to still be on the board when it is their time to choose. Drafting players is far from an exact science, and many a GM has been second-guessed for his draft night decisions. I’m willing to bet that every team executive has at least one pick that he would like a mulligan for. We at Hoops Rumors thought it would be fun to give our readers the chance to predict the results of this June’s draft, which is what we intend to do with a series of polls.

Now that the first two picks are out of the way, things will start to really get interesting. We’ll continue with the Celtics, who are still seeking to land a star player to build around. While Boston is a prime candidate to make a trade involving the No. 3 pick, for our purposes today we’ll assume they keep it. Readers, you are now on the clock! Cast your vote for Boston’s pick and check back Saturday for the results, as well as to cast your vote for who the Suns will select with the No. 4 overall pick. But don’t limit yourself to a simple button click. Take to the comments section below and share your thoughts on the No. 3 overall pick and why you voted the way that you did.

Previous Selections

Sixers — Ben Simmons (LSU)
Lakers — Brandon Ingram (Duke)

And-Ones: Bender, Anderson, Trimble, Hollins

May 20th, 2016 at 2:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Dragan Bender’s buyout with Maccabi Tel Aviv is just $1.3MM, which shouldn’t be an obstacle for the team that drafts him, reports Jonathan Givony of The Vertical. Bender, who is projected as a top 10 pick, signed a seven-year contract with the team in 2014 that included a clause requiring a buyout that is twice the amount that NBA teams are permitted to offer. That means whoever drafts Bender will pay $650K to Maccabi Tel Aviv, and Bender will contribute the rest out of his rookie contract. Givony called the buyout figure “relatively small” for a player who is expected to be drafted so high.

There’s more news from around the basketball world:

Kings swingman James Anderson wants to leave the NBA and play in Europe, tweets international journalist David Pick. He mentions Barcelona, Real Madrid and Fenerbahce as possible destinations for Anderson, who opted out of his contract with Sacramento on Wednesday.
Maryland point guard Melo Trimble is getting close to a decision on whether to stay in the draft or return to school, writes Charles F. Gardner of The Journal Sentinel. Trimble, whose draft stock fell as his production slipped during the latter part of his sophomore season, said he has benefited from the NBA’s new rule allowing underclassmen to pull out of the draft by May 25th if they don’t hire agents. After working out for the Bucks on Wednesday, Trimble said he is “leaning toward” his final decision. “At this workout I really found my confidence, just out there playing, being myself,” he said. “And to see [Bucks coach] Jason Kidd on the sideline was just a morale booster. You want to show what you can do best.”
The Nets stand to save some money if Lionel Hollins becomes an assistant coach with the Rockets, according to NetsDaily (Twitter link). Hollins is being considered as an assistant if the Rockets hire Stephen Silas as their head coach, and whatever Houston pays Hollins would lessen the amount that Brooklyn still owes him.
Nando De Colo, who played two seasons with the Spurs and Raptors, is free to return to the NBA next season, writes Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops. The French star, who led CSKA Moscow to the Euroleague Final, will become a free agent this summer. “We will talk with Nando de Colo after the end of the season,” said team president Andrey Vatutin. “He knows how much we want to keep him in Europe and in Moscow and we will do what we must. Beyond that the point is 100% what he thinks and what feels more like a challenge. The answer to this question belongs to the player.”

Sixers Notes: Embiid, Workout, Carlesimo, Brown

May 20th, 2016 at 1:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Don’t expect to see Sixers center Joel Embiid in this year’s summer league, writes Tom Moore of Calkins Media. Moore said a source called Embiid’s participation “unlikely,” even though new GM Bryan Colangelo mentioned it as a possibility late last month. Embiid underwent bone graft surgery on his right foot last August, and the source said summer league action isn’t “practical” at this point. The Sixers don’t want to take any chance that Embiid might suffer a setback before next season begins. Embiid expects to begin playing two-on-two games this week and is optimistic that he will be ready for opening night.

There’s more out of Philadelphia:

The Sixers are holding a predraft workout today with St. Joseph’s Isaiah Miles, Baylor’s Taurean Prince, Wichita State’s Fred VanVleet, Columbia’s Maodo Lo, San Diego State’s Winston Shepard and Clemson’s Jaron Blossomgame, Moore writes in the same story.
If top assistant Mike D’Antoni lands the head coaching job in Houston, P.J. Carlesimo would be a potential choice to replace him on the Sixers’ bench, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. The 66-year-old last coached with the Nets in 2013.
Sixers coach Brett Brown says the team isn’t leaning toward Ben Simmons, Brandon Ingram or anyone else as the No. 1 pick in the draft, tweets Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com. “This is a massive decision,” Brown said. “It comes with a lot of responsibility. It will receive the time that is required.”
Brown’s connections with Simmons’ family date back to 1988 when he was an assistant coach with the Melbourne Tigers, writes Henry Abbott of ESPN.com. “Each of the teams in Australia were allowed to have two American imports,” Brown said Thursday on ESPN’s TrueHoop podcast. “And one of the American imports we had was a player named David Simmons, from Harlem, New York — who is Ben Simmons’ father. The cheerleader — you can’t make this stuff up — the cheerleader that was the head cheerleader of that team ended up marrying David Simmons, our import, who I coached for five years with Lindsay Gaze, and had Ben Simmons, their son.”
Colangelo is looking forward to another shot at the No. 1 pick after taking Andrea Bargnani first overall in 2006, relays Dave Feschuk of The Toronto Star. “There’s no comparison of the draft classes [of 2006 and 2016],” said Colangelo, who was GM of the Raptors at the time. “Going into that [2006] draft, there was no consensus No. 1 pick. I think this year, if you poll league-wide, there are two consensus No. 1 picks.”

Rockets Consider Silas-Hollins Pairing

May 20th, 2016 at 12:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

12:52pm: The Rockets don’t expect to hire a coach this weekend, tweets Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com. The front office wants to take more time to consider its decision.

11:39am: Stephen Silas is getting serious consideration for the Rockets’ head coaching job, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. The Hornets assistant was in Houston for a second interview Thursday and met with team owner Leslie Alexander. If the Rockets hire Silas, they would like to add former Nets coach Lionel Hollins as his top assistant, Feigen reports.

Silas “crushed” his interviews, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, and a Silas-Hollins team is being weighed against a possible pairing of Mike D’Antoni and current Grizzlies assistant Jeff Bzdelik (Twitter link). Raptors assistant Rex Kalamian is a candidate to join the coaching staffs in both Houston and Washington, Wojnarowski adds.

Only 42, Silas already has 16 years of experience as an assistant coach. The son of former NBA player and coach Paul Silas was hired by the Charlotte Hornets in 2000 and has also spent time with the Cavaliers and Warriors. The Rockets have liked Hollins for years and had hoped to add him to Kevin McHale’s staff when Kelvin Sampson left, Feigen tweets, but he was hired in Brooklyn before that could happen.

Offseason Outlook: Brooklyn Nets

May 20th, 2016 at 11:11am CST by Arthur Hill

Hoops Rumors is looking ahead to offseason moves for all 30 teams. We’ll examine free agency, the draft, trades and other key storylines for each franchise as the summer approaches.

Front Office Shakeup

The Nets’ youth movement isn’t starting with the players. After reassigning GM Billy King in January, Brooklyn turned to 40-year-old Sean Marks, who had built a strong reputation as a coach and executive in the Spurs organization. Marks joined San Antonio in 2012 as director of basketball operations and GM for the D-League Austin Toros. He became an assistant coach a year later and was on the bench when the Spurs won the 2014 NBA title. He also won a ring with the organization as a player in 2005, so he brings a championship pedigree that the Nets need. Marks was serving as assistant GM when Brooklyn hired him away.
He takes over maybe the most daunting challenge in the league, trying to rebuild a team that won’t have its own first-round draft pick for the next three seasons. An ill-fated trade with the Celtics in 2013 sent an unprotected first-rounder to Boston this year and in 2018 and gave the Celtics the option to swap picks with the Nets next season. In the absence of high picks, Marks will have to be aggressive in free agency and crafty in trades to bring talent to Brooklyn.

Rookie Head Coach

The Nets are also going with a fresh face on their bench, hiring highly regarded Atlanta assistant Kenny Atkinson four days after the regular season ended. Before joining the Hawks, the 48-year-old Atkinson spent four years as an assistant with the Knicks. He has carved out a reputation as a hard-working, well-prepared coach who is willing to devote extra time to help players develop. Despite glowing reviews for Atkinson, he will need patience from the front office as he embarks on what is likely to be a long rebuilding process.

Spending Spree?

The good news in Brooklyn is that Marks will have plenty of cap room. The only significant salaries on the books for next season belong to center Brook Lopez, who will make nearly $21.2MM, and power forward Thaddeus Young, who is due a little more than $12.25MM. Bojan Bogdanovic ($3,573,020), Rondae Hollis-Jefferson ($1,395,600), Chris McCullough ($1,191,480) and Sean Kilpatrick ($980,431) are the only only other Nets with guaranteed deals for 2016/17.
The Nets are waiting for option decisions from Wayne Ellington ($1,567,500), Shane Larkin ($1,500,000) and Thomas Robinson ($1,050,961) that could cut their cap space by about $4.1MM if they all opt in. Jarrett Jack may be waived after tearing the ACL in his right knee, with the Nets absorbing his $500K partial guarantee. Add another $5.8MM from buyouts with Deron Williams and Andrea Bargnani, and Brooklyn can expect to have somewhere in the neighborhood of $40MM to spend once July 1 arrives.
Every big-name free agent is probably on the Nets’ wish list, but one name that has been mentioned prominently is Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley. Brooklyn needs someone to take over at that position with Jack’s possible departure, and Conley would represent a major upgrade.
Atkinson addressed the point guard need this week with a football analogy, saying a good one is like having Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers. He said there are “exciting names” available, but surely the list starts with Conley.

Quiet Draft Night?

That 2013 trade with the Celtics took away the Nets’ first-rounder, and a deal with the Clippers gave L.A. pick No. 33, while Brooklyn dropped to 55th as its only selection on draft night.
However, the Nets had a large presence at last week’s draft combine in Chicago and interviewed several top prospects, including Isaiah Whitehead, DeAndre’ Bembry and Cheick Diallo. So it’s possible that Marks is looking at a trade to bring Brooklyn back into the first round.

Roster Decisions

The Nets are expected to make a $1,180,431 qualifying offer to promising young shooting guard Markel Brown. The second-year pro appeared in 62 games this season, averaging 5.9 points per night. Brown’s playing time was cut by coach Lionel Hollins early in the season, but his role increased under interim coach Tony Brown. They also have to decide whether to tender a $1,215,696 offer to rookie power forward Willie Reed. Point guard Donald Sloan and center Henry Sims will be unrestricted free agents, along with small forward Sergey Karasev, whom the Nets cannot offer more than $2,463,754 because they declined their option on his rookie-scale contract in November.

Pillars Of Rebuilding

Marks said this week that both Lopez and Young are in his long-term plans and he isn’t trying to trade either player. Lopez has two years and $43MM left on his contract, while Young is signed at $25MM over the next two seasons with a $13.8MM player option for 2018/19. Marks called them both “teriffic” and “competitive,” and they’re very affordable at those prices in what is expected to be a rapidly escalating NBA salary structure.

Hope For The Future?

The Nets have been plagued by instability ever since the move to Brooklyn. Atkinson is the team’s sixth coach in four years, and only Hollins lasted more than one season. Many observers believed the front office shakeup was long overdue, and now the Nets can plan for the future with a talented young GM and coach. With a shortage of draft picks, Brooklyn won’t be able to rebuild in the traditional way. The franchise will need Marks’ best efforts in talent acquisition and Atkinson’s skills in player development. Owner Mikhail Prokhorov isn’t known for his patience, but if he gives Marks and Atkinson time to succeed, the franchise could be on the right track. If not, the Nets could be back to square one in a couple of years.

Guaranteed Salary

Brook Lopez ($21,165,675)
Thaddeus Young ($12,278,652)
(Deron Williams $5,474,787) — Salary remaining from buyout via stretch provision
Bojan Bogdanovic ($3,573,020)
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson ($1,395,600)
Chris McCullough ($1,191,480)
Sean Kilpatrick ($980,431)
Jarrett Jack ($500,000) — Partial guarantee; non-guaranteed portion listed below
(Andrea Bargnani $323,599) — Salary remaining from buyout
Total: $46,883,244

Player Options

Wayne Ellington ($1,567,500)
Shane Larkin ($1,500,000)
Thomas Robinson ($1,050,961)
Total: $4,118,461

Team Options

None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Jarrett Jack ($5,800,000) — Partial guarantee; guaranteed portion listed above

Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)

Shane Larkin ($1,875,000/$1,875,000) — Pending player option
Willie Reed ($1,215,696/$1,215,696)
Markel Brown ($1,180,431/$1,180,431)
Totals: ($4,271,127/$4,271,127)

Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)

Sergey Karasev ($2,463,754)¹
Wayne Ellington ($1,800,000) — Pending player option
Thomas Robinson ($980,431) — Pending player option
Donald Sloan ($980,431)
Henry Sims ($980,431)
Total: $7,205,047

Other Cap Holds

Andray Blatche ($1,788,285)
Jason Collins ($980,431)
Jerry Stackhouse ($980,431)
Total: $3,749,147

Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000

Footnotes:

The Nets can’t re-sign Karasev to a contract with a starting salary worth more than the amount listed here because they declined their team option on his rookie scale contract.

The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.

Heat Notes: Bosh, Dragic, Wade, Deng

May 20th, 2016 at 9:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat are expecting Chris Bosh to be available next season, according to Dan Le Batard of ESPN. The 13-year veteran hasn’t played since the All-Star break when doctors discovered blood clots in his left calf, but Le Batard said on his radio show that both sides are optimistic. “I just got a text saying that Bosh should be able to play next season,” the host said. “So the Heat expect Bosh to be able to play next season. … What I’m telling you is that Bosh is committed to getting back, and the Heat are hopeful that that can be so.” Dan Feldman of NBCSports.com notes that the text came after Le Batard talked about the possibility of Bosh being forced into retirement, so Feldman speculates it came from someone with inside knowledge of the situation.

There’s more news out of Miami:

The Heat are limited in making deals for draft picks because they have used all their tradable cash for this season, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. Not only can they not buy a pick, but Winderman points out that 60 percent of their roster is headed toward free agency, so none of those players can be traded. He says Miami’s best shot is to find a team that is interested in trading a pick for Josh McRoberts and that has the cap space or exception to fit him on its roster. McRoberts will make $5,782,450 next season.
Goran Dragic says Heat players will try to convince free agent center Hassan Whiteside to stay in Miami, tweets Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post. “We all want him here,” Dragic said. .. “Hopefully he sees that.”
Dwyane Wade is hoping for a “quick and easy” experience in free agency this summer, Lieser tweets. Wade, who signed a one-year, $20MM deal last offseason, said he wants a “smooth” negotiating process.
With only about $40MM to spend and Whiteside and Wade as top priorities, the Heat may not be able to afford free agent combo forward Luol Deng, writes Manny Navarro of The Miami Herald. At a little more than $10.15MM, Deng turned out to be a bargain for Miami as he assumed a greater role after Bosh was sidelined. “Going forward obviously I would love to be here,” Deng said. “It’s something that we will sit down and discuss. I can’t really say one bad thing about being here. I enjoyed my time. The one thing that I know about here is that it’s an organization that wants to win and an organization that will support the players and what they do, whether it’s on the court or off the court.”

Latest On Jeff Hornacek, Knicks

May 20th, 2016 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Knicks president Phil Jackson was “blown away” by Jeff Hornacek in Monday’s job interview, but only after Jackson couldn’t sell anyone on keeping interim coach Kurt Rambis, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Berman reports Jackson made the final decision to hire Hornacek, who is still finalizing contract details with the team.

In selecting Hornacek, Jackson ignored cries from the media and fans to pick up former Indiana coach Frank Vogel, who was hired Thursday by Orlando, or ex-Cleveland coach David Blatt, who was the preferred choice of GM Steve Mills. Hornacek reportedly got a strong recommendation from Golden State coach Steve Kerr, who is close with Jackson.

Berman says Jackson was influenced by criticism of Rambis from inside and outside the organization. Mills wasn’t sold on Rambis, nor were Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis, with Anthony expressing his views through the media. Other players also voiced reservations in their exit interviews about keeping Rambis. Owner James Dolan wasn’t on board either, though he was letting Jackson make the final choice, and Jackson reportedly had his own questions about Rambis’ leadership skills.

Anthony supports the hiring of Hornacek and likes the move away from the triangle, Berman writes in a separate piece. Anthony believes Porzingis will have a larger role in the new offense and thinks that will benefit the Knicks in the long run. He would have also been happy with Blatt, according to Berman.

Berman speculates that Rambis could be retained as an assistant coach with Hornacek, who was his former teammate in Phoenix, or he could join Jackson in the front office.

Jackson has liked Hornacek since his playing days, but didn’t contact his representatives until two weeks after the search began. Jackson’s first choice, according to Berman, was new Lakers coach Luke Walton, whom he talked with two days after launching the search.

In bypassing Rambis, Berman believes Jackson may have paved the way for an easier exit from the Knicks. Jackson has an opt-out clause to leave the organization after next season, and many believe he will head back to the Lakers to reunite with fiancee Jeanie Buss. Berman writes that Jackson might have felt an obligation to stay in New York and oversee Rambis if he had been the choice, but that pressure is now gone.

Month: November 2024