Michigan coach John Beilein was not offered the Pistons head coaching job before he withdrew his candidacy on Wednesday, Brendan Quinn of The Athletic reports. Beilein was one of the finalists along with ex-Raptors coach Dwane Casey and Spurs assistant Ime Udoka. Beilein was uncomfortable with the attention that he received when his name surfaced publicly and grew tired of the dragged-out process. But he admitted he would have strongly considered taking the NBA job if it had been offered. “I just said, let’s just move forward. I’ll make their decision easier,” Beilein told Quinn. “I felt like, well, if they’re not certain — and I understand that, it’s OK — but if they’re not certain, then I’m not going to be certain.”
In other developments involving Central Division teams:
- Pressure from family members might be the only way that LeBron James stays with the Cavaliers after the NBA Finals, according to Marc Stein of the New York Times. James has more of an inkling what he’ll do this summer than he’s revealed publicly, Stein continues. Joining forces with close friend Chris Paul is a strong possibility, Stein adds, whether he goes to the Rockets or they sign with another team with enough salary-cap space to pull it off.
- The Cavaliers are frustrated to be down 3-0 in theFinals against a more vulnerable Warriors team than they faced last year, according to Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. One unnamed player even told Lloyd the series would be completely opposite if Kyrie Irving had not been traded to the Celtics. “We’d be up 3-0 if Kyrie was still here,” the player said. “I have no doubt.”
- It’s possible the Bulls will draft a point guard, in part because they’re unhappy with Kris Dunn‘s work habits, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Multiple sources told Cowley that the coaching staff and front office believe Dunn has been “shortcutting’’ his way through May and the first week of June. This is a surprise, Cowley adds, because Dunn was considered a workout warrior with the Timberwolves and showed the same traits last summer after he was traded to Chicago.
Dunn is such a two way guard though, no need to chase another point guard. Draft Porter jr.
Let me correct that anonymous quote from the Cavs player.
“(If he had two working knees) We’d be up 3-0 if Kyrie was still here,” the player said.
The whole point people are trying to make with the narrative that Gilbert traded away the chances of them winning, is such a joke. Injuries CAN be random occurrences. However, a knee is in part, subject to degenerative wear. Considering it was the same knee as before then it’s likely it would’ve happened with whatever team he was traded too.
Stupid argument imo, and I think the Cavs medical team suspected that was the issue. I also wonder if the rumor that Kyrie threatened to have surgery if not traded may have been true? Maybe he was willing to try and play thru for any team other than the Cavs?
He actually already had the knee injury before he was traded. That’s one of the reasons they traded him so quickly. Which only strengthens your point.
If you’re going to project Irving on the Cavs, consider that he would have sat out most of the season, pouting if not injured. That means he would be fresh for the playoffs like he was for most of his allstar season with the Celts.
Would he really sit out the playoffs if he didn’t have to? I doubt that. He’s not hating, he’s just self-obsessed.
Irving can play with his knees. He’s just coddling them. They probably do hurt and are getting worse but they would be good enough to close out games 1 & 3 and put the Cavs ahead.
James still wants to play with C.PAUL and they could be a package. IDK what Paul wants but Philly could happen.
I wasn’t sold on DUNN before that report. Head down PG
Well with Kyrie last year they didn’t do any better than this year, so I think is baseless to say that with him they would be 3-0 up, anyway he hasn’t played the playoffs which make all this argument really silly, he didn’t make any difference for Cleveland, the one & only who makes it is The King, having had his best RS in his career & his best playoffs at 33… wow man. Rest well for the next season so you can regal our senses with another totally historic season, you did all that you could & more to win, but the other 4 kind of suck…
Do you see what I mean, that Irving would have held out and then been fresh for the playoffs?
The probable holdout would have have been Silver’s problem. Cavs barely cared about winning through parts of the year.
Irving played 1931 minutes this year.
By the way is it just me or this Chicago team is a very dysfunctional one, I mean now Dunn isn’t doing what he has always been known to do, they penny pinching 10k not to go to the global draft in Italy… I just think next year is gonna be a contract decision with Dunn & maybe they are trying to bring his value down so they can have him on the cheap. To me last year he was with Markkanen their best player, they should be nursing & loving him instead of throwing him to the wolves, disappointing Bulls yet again.
Good theory. But I’m not a fan of the whole Bulls bullpen of young ballhandlers and John Paxson was one of the best in his day! They need to draft a 3. Between Portis and Markanon they have youth at 4 and 5.