2018 May | Hoops Rumors

Latest On Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala Injuries

May 24th, 2018 at 12:15pm CST by clarkcrum

MAY 24, 12:15pm: Kerr indicated today that Thompson is expected to play, while Iguodala is listed as a game-time decision (Twitter link via Mark Medina of The San Jose Mercury News).

MAY 23, 7:20pm: In somewhat surprising news, both Warriors forward Andre Iguodala and shooting guard Klay Thompson are listed as questionable for Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals tomorrow night, per an official tweet from the team.

Head coach Steve Kerr is confident both Thompson and Iguodala will play, per Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post, but the fact that both remain questionable is noteworthy nevertheless.

Iguodala, who suffered a knee contusion in Game 3, was sorely missed in the team’s Game 4 loss to the Rockets last night, while Thompson is one of the team’s four marquee stars, along with Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Draymond Green. Missing either one of the two could hamper the Warriors’ chances in Game 5, let alone both.

Thompson suffered a strained right knee during the second quarter of Game 4, forcing him to leave the game for several minutes before returning before halftime. Per Drew Shiller of NBC Sports Bay Area, GM Bob Myers was concerned while accompanying Thompson back in the locker room.

“Watching him try to run up and down, I thought it was bad. I was thinking meniscus or something. So then when he got back to the locker room, you can always kind of gauge a player’s concern by their mannerisms. And he just threw a towel over his face and laid down on the training table. And that’s not a good sign.”

It’ll be interesting to see how Kerr will adjust his rotation if Iguodala, Thompson, or both can’t play, but one would assume both Kevon Looney and Nick Young are logical candidates to receive the increased playing time, as they did in Game 4.

Mavericks Hiring Stephen Silas As Assistant

May 24th, 2018 at 12:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Hornets assistant coach Stephen Silas has agreed to a multiyear deal with the Mavericks and will join Rick Carlisle‘s staff in Dallas, the Mavs head coach confirmed today (Twitter link). A source tells Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that Silas will be Carlisle’s lead assistant.

Silas’ move to Dallas is part of a game of musical chairs among NBA assistants. With Steve Clifford replaced by James Borrego in Charlotte, Jay Triano was hired by the Hornets as the new top assistant on Borrego’s staff, displacing Silas. Silas, in turn, will join the Mavericks, who lost their own lead assistant Melvin Hunt to the Hawks.

A longtime assistant for New Orleans, Cleveland, Golden State, and Charlotte, Silas received head coaching consideration from the Hawks this spring before Atlanta hired Lloyd Pierce. Silas also stepped in as the Hornets’ head coach for over a month during the 2017/18 season when Clifford took time away from the team for health reasons.

Lamar Patterson To Play In China

May 24th, 2018 at 11:59am CST by Luke Adams

Former Hawks shooting guard Lamar Patterson has agreed to a deal to play in China with Lhasa Jingtu, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The club is part of China’s National Basketball League, the country’s second-tier league behind the Chinese Basketball Association.

Patterson, the 48th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, spent his first professional season in Turkey before returning stateside to join the Hawks for the 2015/16 campaign. In parts of two NBA seasons, the former Pitt standout appeared in 40 games for Atlanta, averaging 2.3 PPG and 1.4 RPG in limited minutes.

Patterson spent a portion of the 2017/18 season with Fiat Torino in Italy. However, he and the club reached an agreement to part ways in March, paving the way for his latest deal. Although he didn’t stick with Fiat Torino for the entire season, he was one of the team’s most effective players, averaging 16.3 PPG and 5.3 in EuroCup play, with 13.4 PPG and 4.6 RPG in 18 Italian League games.

Hornets Hire Jay Triano As Assistant Coach

May 24th, 2018 at 10:35am CST by marksuleymanov

MAY 24: The Hornets have officially hired Triano as an assistant, the team announced today (via Twitter).

MAY 20: Jay Triano has agreed to join the Hornets as a top assistant under new head coach James Borrego, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. It was reported earlier this week that Charlotte was considering Triano for their coaching staff.

Triano, 59, coached all but three games for the Suns last season after Earl Watson was dismissed. With Triano at the helm, Phoenix went 21-58. He was a candidate for the permanent job in Phoenix before the Suns hired former Jazz assistant Igor Kokoskov.

Aside from his stint as interim coach this past season, Triano brings previous head coaching experience from his stint with the Raptors from 2008-2011.

Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer noted that it’s common for first-time head coaches, such as Borrego, to bring in experienced head coaches to round out their staff. Steve Clifford, who the Hornets fired after the regular season, had former head coaches Bob Weiss and Eddie Jordan on his staff in Charlotte.

The Hornets are in the midsts of an organizational overhaul of sorts. The team recently brought in Mitch Kupchak as the new general manager in addition to replacing their head coach.

Magic To Interview Steve Clifford

May 24th, 2018 at 10:09am CST by Luke Adams

The Magic’s long, deliberate search for a new head coach will continue this week, as the team is set to interview former Hornets coach Steve Clifford, league sources tell Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link).

Clifford, who was let go by Charlotte at season’s end, expressed a desire to coach again next season and interviewed for the Suns’ and Bucks’ jobs before they hired Igor Kokoskov and Mike Budenholzer, respectively. Before leading the Hornets to a 196-214 (.478) record over five seasons, Clifford held a number of NBA assistant jobs, including one in Orlando from 2007 to 2012.

Although the Magic’s head coaching search has already lasted nearly a month and a half, Clifford is only the third candidate confirmed to have interviewed with the club. Orlando has been mum on its search for Frank Vogel‘s replacement, with Trail Blazers assistant David Vanterpool and Spurs assistant Ime Udoka representing the only interviewees whose names had surfaced before today.

Still, it’s possible that the Magic have spoken or met with more candidates. University of Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson has been repeatedly cited as a contender for the position, but it’s not clear if he has formally interviewed with the franchise. (Update: Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel indicates that the Magic have interviewed Sampson.)

The Magic are one of three NBA teams still on the lookout for a new head coach, joining the Raptors and Pistons. We’re tracking the latest updates on those coaching searches right here.

Draft Workouts: Grizzlies, Delgado, Huerter, Alkins

May 24th, 2018 at 9:54am CST by Luke Adams

While the Grizzlies hold the fourth overall pick in this year’s draft, the group of prospects working out for the team on Thursday won’t be candidates to come off the board that early. Memphis also holds the No. 32 selection, so today’s workout participants will vie to receive consideration at that spot. According to a team release, Braian Angola (Florida State), Justin Bibbs (Virginia Tech), Chris Chiozza (Florida), Josh Okogie (Georgia Tech), Admiral Schofield (Tennessee), and Jonathan Stark (Murray State) are getting a look today from the Grizzlies.

Here’s more pre-draft workout news:

Seton Hall big man Angel Delgado and Maryland guard Kevin Huerter each have workouts on tap with the Lakers and then the Jazz, per Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (Twitter links).
In addition to his previously reported workouts, Arizona guard Rawle Alkins has an audition with the Suns scheduled for next week, according to Zagoria, who adds that Alkins will also have a Pro Day next Thursday.
Zagoria provides another workout update, tweeting that Miami’s Dewan Huell has auditioned for the Thunder, Cavaliers, Bucks, Hawks, and Grizzlies so far. Huell, who is testing the waters without an agent, remains undecided about whether or not to stay in the draft.
After working out for Washington this week, Kansas guard Devonte’ Graham will work out for the Suns, Hawks, Rockets, Grizzlies, and about six or seven teams after that, he tells Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington (Twitter link).
Xavier’s J.P. Macura, who has a workout lined up with the Spurs, met with the Bucks, Clippers, Magic, and Pacers at this week’s Pro Basketball Combine, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News.

Pistons Hire Ed Stefanski As Senior Advisor

May 24th, 2018 at 8:50am CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons have begun to shape their new-look front office, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports that the team has hired Ed Stefanski as a senior advisor responsible for overhauling the team’s basketball operations. Stefanski, cited last week as a candidate to join the Pistons, had been working in Memphis as the Grizzlies’ executive VP of player personnel, and had a previous stint as the Sixers’ general manager.

The Pistons have confirmed the hiring in a press release.

According to Wojnarowski, Stefanski will take stock the Pistons’ current front office and will oversee the process of hiring a new general manager and head coach. Woj adds (via Twitter) that former Raptors coach Dwane Casey will be a primary target in Detroit’s search for Stan Van Gundy‘s replacement on the sidelines, with the Pistons intending to engage Casey “immediately.” Stefanski and Casey worked together in Toronto from 2011 to 2013.

Hiring Stefanski as an advisor responsible for leading the general manager search suggests that the Pistons may not formally name a president of basketball operations above the GM in the hierarchy, tweets Rod Beard of The Detroit News. It’s not clear how much influence Stefanski, who received a three-year deal, will have over basketball decisions once a new GM is hired, but Wojnarowski notes that the former Grizzlies exec will report directly to owner Tom Gores.

Among Stefanski’s first tasks will be assessing the work of current Pistons executives, including GM Jeff Bower, whose contract expires on June 30. Stefanski will also focus on separating the basketball operations department from the coaching staff, Wojnarowski writes. With Van Gundy having previously held the head coach and president of basketball ops titles, those areas were intertwined during his tenure.

According to Wojnarowski, the Pistons will strongly consider hiring a “rising” executive for a GM-type role, with Nets assistant GM Trajan Langdon considered a serious candidate for such a position. Per Woj, TNT analyst Brent Barry remains a frontrunner for a complementary job in Detroit’s front office. Both Wojnarowski and Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link) also mention Tayshaun Prince as a strong candidate to join the Pistons’ management group.

The Pistons were also said to be impressed by Shane Battier after interviewing the Heat executive, though it’s not clear how he’d fit into the team’s front office picture.

Atlantic Notes: Ivey, DiVincenzo, Lin, Bridges

May 23rd, 2018 at 10:39pm CST by clarkcrum

In some similar news for two different franchises from the Atlantic Division, both the Knicks and the Sixers are reportedly interested in hiring Royal Ivey as an assistant coach, reports Michael Scotto of The Athletic and Ian Begley of ESPN.

Ivey, who is from New York City, has been an assistant coach for the Thunder for the last two seasons after starting his post-playing career as a coach for their G League team, the Blue, but could perhaps be looking for an opportunity closer to home.

Per Begley, Ivey has already interviewed with the Knicks for a position of new coach David Fizdale’s staff, while the Sixers are reported to simply have interest in the 36 year old at this time.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Celtics’ President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge is apparently interested in combine standout and Villanova guard Donte DiVincenzo, as the former NBA guard and the current Wildcat went to lunch together after DiVincenzo’s workout in Boston, reports Adam Zagoria of SportsNet New York.
In a wide-ranging piece for The Athletic, Mike Vorkunov details the return from injury for Nets’ point guard Jeremy Lin, who signed a three-year, $36 million contract in 2016 but has been unable to play very often since signing the deal, appearing in only 37 games in the past two seasons. Lin now says he is nearly ready to play and “pretty much at that point where everything is good to go.”
One target and/or option for the Knicks at No. 9 in the upcoming 2018 NBA Draft is Villanova swingman Mikal Bridges. Per Ian Begley of ESPN, team president Steve Mills, GM Scott Perry, and director of scouting Kristian Petesi were all at his pro day today in New York.

Amar’e Stoudemire Planning NBA Comeback?

May 23rd, 2018 at 9:43pm CST by clarkcrum

Six-time All-Star Amar’e Stoudemire said today that he’s considering a return to the NBA, reports Ian Begley of ESPN. Stoudemire last played professionally in Israel after retiring from the NBA in the summer of 2016.

Stoudemire, 35, who spoke of his desire to potentially return during an appearance on The Michael Kay Show on ESPN 98.7 FM, said – for what’s it worth – that he’s in great shape and training as if he were returning to the NBA. He’ll participate in the BIG3’s second season this summer.

Stoudemire is perhaps best known for his tenure with the Suns for eight seasons from 2002 to 2010, where he teamed up with two-time MVP Steve Nash to form a dynamic duo that made the Western Conference Finals three times – in 2005, 2006, and 2010.

Individually, Stoudemire was named to an All-NBA team five times in his career, earning first team honors in 2007 after averaging 20.4 PPG and a career-high 9.6 RPG.

Central Notes: Brown, Pistons, Gilbert

May 23rd, 2018 at 8:28pm CST by clarkcrum

In some relatively serious off the court news, Bucks’ rookie Sterling Brown plans to file a civil rights lawsuit against the Milwaukee Police Department as a result of being tased and arrested in January, reports Gina Barton and Ashley Lutheran of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The police released the body cam footage of the incident during a press conference earlier this evening, and as one can see, the video doesn’t really demonstrate the Bucks’ guard acting wrongfully in any way, with Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett even going as far as saying the officer’s actions against Brown made him uneasy.

“It was a disturbing video when I saw it, and I know that the police chief (Morales) feels the same way,” Barrett said yesterday. “And I don’t know exactly what actions his department is going to take, but it is disconcerting to see some of the actions in that video.”

Brown and the Bucks have since released statements, with Brown saying, in part:

My experience in January with the Milwaukee Police Department was wrong and shouldn’t happen to anybody. What should have been a simple parking ticket turned into an attempt at police intimidation, followed by the unlawful use of physical force, including being handcuffed and tased, and then unlawfully booked. This experience with the Milwaukee Police Department has forced me to stand up and tell my story so that I can help prevent these injustices from happening in the future.

During today’s conference, police chief Alfonso Morales said that the officers involved “acted inappropriately” and “were recently disciplined,” but did not take any questions from reporters.

There’s more from the Central Division:

Amid a time of uncertainty, Pistons’ general manager Jeff Bower continues to operate business as usual, taking control of the front office until told otherwise, reports Rod Beard of The Detroit News. Bower’s contract expires on June 30, and the team is considering a pool of candidates to run the front office.
One silver lining of the Cavaliers’ relative struggles this postseason is more profit for owner Dan Gilbert, writes Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. The Cavs have already played eight home games this postseason, matching their total from all of last year’s playoffs. Home playoff games can net a team upwards of $3MM per contest.
In other Pistons news, Vincent Ellis of the Detroit Free Press tweets that coach of the year candidate Dwane Casey is highly likely to be considered for the team’s open head coaching vacancy, while a decision on the front office should come in early June.

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