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Owner Tom Gores Talks Pistons’ Future

April 23rd, 2019 at 5:32pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Pistons‘ first postseason appearance since the 2015/16 campaign ended with four straight losses, but the organization will continue to look for ways to win more games. Owner Tom Gores spoke with the media following the sweep at the hands of the Bucks, squashing any notion that Detroit will take one step back in order to two steps forward.

“I just don’t believe in the idea of whatever you want to call it — tanking or losing,” Gores said (via Rod Beard of The Detroit News). “We need a winning culture and let’s just see what happens from there. I don’t think sports is about that. You can’t get on the court and think about losing. I just don’t believe in it … I’m not going to get into that business.”

Gores said that the Pistons need to “make more progress.” Detroit won 41 games this year, up from 39 and 37 respectively over the previous two seasons.

The improvement didn’t come without a price, as team salary was close to the luxury tax this past season. The Pistons already have approximately $112MM in guaranteed salary on the books for the 2019/20 season and they will continue to search for ways to make improvements within the confines of the salary cap parameters.

“I want to win as much as all of us want to win. If I didn’t want to, it would have been easy not to win and not try to get into the playoffs. Of course, we are,” Gores said. “This has never been about our financial situation; it’s about delivering to Detroit. It’s not the way we function and we’re going to do whatever it takes to win. 

“We established good culture this year and if you look at the positives, we do have great players and Dwane did a good job navigating some of our young players with Bruce Brown, and [Luke Kennard] did great every step at a time. It’s a process.”

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Draft Updates: Wiseman, Poole, Lard, More

April 23rd, 2019 at 4:05pm CST by Luke Adams

While most of the draft-related focus these days is on 2019’s event, that didn’t stop ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz from taking an early look at 2020. In an Insider-only story at ESPN.com, the pair of draft experts updates their mock draft for ’20, notably moving up Memphis center James Wiseman from No. 3 to No. 1.

As Schmitz explains, Wiseman has long been considered the most physically gifted prospect in his high school, but his consistency and effort level left something to be desired. That has changed in recent weeks, as he has impressed evaluators with his play on both ends of the floor during the Nike Hoop Summit and Jordan Brand Classic.

Circling back to 2019, here are a few more draft notes:

  • Michigan sophomore guard Jordan Poole has decided to keep his name in the 2019 NBA draft, the school announced today (via Twitter). Poole ranks just outside the top 60 on Givony’s big board at ESPN.com, but presumably the feedback he has received so far in the pre-draft process was encouraging.
  • Iowa State sophomore forward Cameron Lard officially announced this week that he has declared for the 2019 NBA draft, posting a message on Instagram to confirm the decision. Lard’s wording suggests that he’s committed to going pro and won’t retain his college eligibility after two up-and-down seasons with the Cyclones, which included multiple suspensions and off-court issues.
  • German forward Philipp Herkenhoff (born 1999) and German guard Jonas Mattisseck (born 2000) have added their names to the NBA’s early entry list for the 2019 draft, tweets Givony. Both players will have until June 10 to withdraw their names if they decide not to become draft-eligible quite yet.
  • The following players have also declared for the 2019 NBA draft:
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Lakers Interview Jason Kidd For Head Coach Job

April 23rd, 2019 at 3:50pm CST by Luke Adams

We can add another name to the list of candidates for the Lakers‘ head coaching job, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com reports that Jason Kidd has interviewed for the position.

According to McMenamin, Kidd’s interview took place on Monday, as the former Nets and Bucks head coach met with general manager Rob Pelinka and Kurt Rambis, who is back with the franchise in an executive role. The meeting lasted for several hours, sources tell McMenamin.

Kidd was linked to the Lakers multiple times during the season when Luke Walton was still under contract. However, his name didn’t come up right away in the wake of Walton’s dismissal, as interviews with Tyronn Lue, Monty Williams, and Juwan Howard were reported first. Kidd now joins that list of names, which could continue to grow if the team doesn’t make a quick decision on Walton’s replacement.

As McMenamin notes, Kidd is the latest Lakers candidate with ties to star forward LeBron James, having played with him during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Williams has also been involved with Team USA squads with James, while Lue coached LeBron in Cleveland and Howard played with him in Miami.

The Lakers were expected to interview Howard today, with follow-up sessions for Lue and Williams on tap for later this week.

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2019 NBA Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Chicago Bulls

April 23rd, 2019 at 3:16pm CST by Luke Adams

It was another disappointing season for the Bulls in 2018/19, but the franchise at least secured a few more potential building blocks, having drafted Wendell Carter, extended Zach LaVine, and acquired Otto Porter in a trade. Those last two moves will limit Chicago’s spending flexibility for the 2019 offseason, but the club wasn’t expected to be a major player in free agency anyway.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Bulls financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2019:

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

  • None

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Restricted Free Agents

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Projected Salary Cap: $109,000,000
Projected Tax Line: $132,000,000

Offseason Cap Outlook

  • Realistic cap room projection: $19.9MM
  • The Bulls have just over $81MM in guaranteed salaries on their books for 2019/20, and will have to account for the cap hold for their first-round pick. Outside of those cap charges though, they shouldn’t have to carry many more. In the cap projection above, I’ve assumed that the team will hang onto Arcidiacono and try to re-sign him, while renouncing their other free agents and waiving their non-guaranteed salaries. They could clear an extra $3MM if their request to remove Asik from their cap is approved.
  • If the Bulls make an effort to re-sign some of their other free agents, they could opt to stay over the cap this summer. That would allow the club to keep its full mid-level exception and bi-annual exception, as noted below.

Cap Exceptions Available

  • Room exception: $4,760,000 4

Footnotes

  1. Harrison’s salary becomes partially guaranteed ($175K) after August 15.
  2. The salaries for two-way players don’t count against a team’s cap, but their cap holds do during the offseason.
  3. Because Luwawu-Cabarrot’s fourth-year rookie scale option was declined, the Bulls are ineligible to offer him a starting salary greater than his cap hold.
  4. This is a projected value. If the Bulls remain over the cap, they’d instead have access to the full mid-level exception ($9,246,000), the bi-annual exception ($3,619,000), and their lone remaining trade exception ($1,183,573; expires 1/3/20).

Note: Minimum-salary and rookie-scale cap holds are estimates based on salary cap projections and could increase or decrease depending on where the cap lands.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders and RealGM was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Hoops Rumors’ 2019 NBA Award Picks: Defensive Player Of The Year

April 23rd, 2019 at 2:23pm CST by Hoops Rumors

While the NBA won’t announce this year’s award winners until June, we’re making our picks for 2019’s major awards now.

The Hoops Rumors writing team has weighed in with our choices below, but we also want to know which players, coaches, and executives you think are most deserving of the hardware this season, so jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts.

We’re keeping things going today with the award for Defensive Player of the Year. Here are our selections:

Arthur Hill: Rudy Gobert (Jazz)
Utah’s defensive identity is built around Gobert, who once again ranked among the league’s best shot blockers at 2.3 per game. He won the Defensive Player of the Year award last season despite playing just 56 games, but this year he was on the court virtually every night, acting as an intimidating rim protector who allows Utah’s perimeter defenders to stay at home on 3-point shooters. The Jazz have become one of the league’s best defensive teams, and it all starts with Gobert.

Chris Crouse: Rudy Gobert (Jazz)
Gobert continues to impress on the defensive end year after year and the 2018/19 season was no exception. He anchored the Western Conference’s best defense, invoking fear into opposing play-makers and swatting away 2.3 shot attempts per game. He finished in the top five in defensive win shares and defensive rating, and no player had a better defensive box plus/minus than Utah’s center.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paul George and Joel Embiid should all be considered for the award — it’s fair to wonder how many awards Embiid would have this year if he had played closer to 82 games. Gobert isn’t head-and-shoulders above any of these candidates, but he gets the nod for his body of work this year.

JD Shaw: Kawhi Leonard (Raptors)
To me, he’s still the best defender in basketball today. It’s that simple. He’s able to guard multiple positions for extended periods of time, has great length, anticipation, athleticism, and large hands to disrupt the top offensive threats on each team every night. Despite sitting some games earlier in the season, he was able to do just that with Toronto.

Dana Gauruder: Rudy Gobert (Jazz)
Gobert posted a career-high 24.6 PER, according to ESPN’s rankings, and a league-high 5.1 Defensive Box Plus/Minus rating, according to Basketball-Reference. Utah’s defense revolves around Gobert’s ability to protect the rim and switch onto a variety of players. The Jazz also gave up the second-fewest 3-point makes in the league because their perimeter players can stick close to shooters while Gobert patrols the lane.

Luke Adams: Rudy Gobert (Jazz)
In a tight race that featured at least three or four viable Defensive Player of the Year candidates, Gobert gets the edge as much for his quantity of play as his quality of play. What does that mean? In addition to appearing in 17 more games than fellow rim protector Embiid, Gobert was asked to take on greater defensive responsibilities than players like Antetokounmpo and George.

As ESPN’s Zach Lowe detailed earlier this month, the Jazz surrendered the fifth-lowest share of shots at the basket, thanks in large part to Gobert, who still managed to challenge approximately 27 shots per 100 possessions, per Second Spectrum’s data — Antetokounmpo and George challenged about 15.5 apiece. While the other candidates had terrific years, Gobert’s impact on the defensive end was – in my view – more substantial.

Who is your pick for Defensive Player of the Year? Share your choices and your thoughts in the comment section below!

Previously:

Still to come:

  • Most Valuable Player

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Suns Look To Interview David Vanterpool, Monty Williams

April 23rd, 2019 at 2:11pm CST by Luke Adams

2:11pm: The Sixers have granted the Suns permission to interview Williams, according to Wojnarowski, who adds that the former Pelicans coach is Phoenix’s top target (Twitter links).

8:37am: Having dismissed head coach Igor Kokoskov on Monday, the Suns will start their search for a new coach by requesting permission to interview a pair of veteran assistants, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). League sources tell Charania that Phoenix is eyeing Trail Blazers assistant David Vanterpool in addition to Sixers assistant Monty Williams.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported the Suns’ interest in Williams shortly after Kokoskov’s dismissal on Monday. The former Pelicans head coach, who also served as an assistant in Portland and Oklahoma City, has emerged as one of the most popular targets this spring for teams in search of a head coach. The Lakers have interviewed him already, and the Kings were said to have him on their list before they hired Luke Walton.

As for Vanterpool, his name has been connected to multiple job openings in recent years, as he has long been viewed as one of the assistant coaches most prepared for a head coaching position. He reportedly met with the Magic and Hornets last spring, and the Cavaliers are expected to interview him after Portland’s playoff run ends.

I expect the Suns’ list of targets to continue to grow in the coming days, but the fact that Williams and Vanterpool have emerged as the first names on that list suggests that the club thinks highly of them.

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Western Notes: Capela, Suns, Pelicans, House

April 23rd, 2019 at 1:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Rockets center Clint Capela, who had one of his worst games of the season on Monday in Utah, tells Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com that he has been battling a pair of respiratory illnesses during the playoffs. According to Capela, he was diagnosed on Sunday with adenovirus and a klebsiella infection. He’s treating the illnesses with medication and eye drops, and isn’t expected to back to full health for another four or five days.

“It’s tough, man,” Capela told MacMahon. “Especially when I try to breathe, it’s hard. I’m just going to fight it the best that I can.”

If Capela is slowed again in Game 5, it could open the door a crack for a Jazz comeback, though the Rockets remain heavy favorites to finish off the series on Wednesday night, with or without a fully healthy center.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

  • As John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 clarifies (via Twitter), the Suns wouldn’t draft Ja Morant over Zion Williamson if they get the No. 1 pick. However, the Suns would be happy to select Morant at No. 2, and could explore trading up to No. 2 if they end up with a slightly lower pick, per Gambadoro. This doesn’t contradict a weekend report from Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, who cited sources that believe Phoenix may prefer to end up with Morant. Vecenie himself expressed skepticism that the team would pass on Williamson at No. 1.
  • Clippers assistant general manager Trent Redden is in New Orleans this week, tweets Scott Kushner of The Advocate. Nothing is official yet, but there have been whispers that the Pelicans plan to hire Redden as their new GM under David Griffin. Redden and Griffin have already met in New Orleans, reports Andrew Lopez of NOLA.com (via Twitter).
  • The latest trip to Salt Lake City for Danuel House reflects how far he has come in the last four-and-a-half months, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. The last time House was in Utah in early December, he was being waived from the Rockets‘ 15-man roster. He ultimately re-signed with the team on a two-way deal, then played his way back onto the 15-man squad before the end of the season. Now, he’s one of Houston’s must trusted reserves, having averaged 23.8 MPG in the first round.
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Poll: Which Team Will Win Nuggets/Spurs Series?

April 23rd, 2019 at 12:03pm CST by Luke Adams

While the second round of the NBA postseason are on track to feature a handful of fascinating and entertaining series, the first round has been a bit of a disappointment so far.

The Celtics and Bucks have already advanced to the Conference Finals, sweeping their respective opponents. The Raptors, Sixers, Warriors, and Rockets hold 3-1 leads and are overwhelming favorites to join Boston and Milwaukee in the second round. The Thunder, down 3-1 to the Trail Blazers, have the talent to make a comeback, but face a significant uphill climb, with Game 5 and a potential Game 7 taking place in Portland.

Barring a surprise turn in any of those other series, that leaves us with just one matchup that’s still very much up for grabs — the No. 2 Nuggets against the No. 7 Spurs. With the series tied up at 2-2, Game 5 is schedule to tip off in Denver tonight, and if the first four games are any indication, it’s hard to know exactly what to expect.

Will we see the Jamal Murray who has averaged 24.0 PPG on 51.6% shooting in the Nuggets’ two wins? Or will it be the Murray who managed just 23 total points on 34.5% shooting in Denver’s two losses?

How about Derrick White? The young Spurs guard looked like the best player on the court in Game 3, pouring in 36 points on 15-of-21 shooting. In Game 4, he scored just eight points and was a team-worst minus-19.

After Will Barton struggled mightily in the first three games of the series, the Nuggets pulled him from the starting lineup, inserting Torrey Craig in his place. The move worked well for both players in Game 4, with Craig scoring 18 points and making 5-of-7 three-pointers, while Barton had 12 points and was 3-of-3 from the outside. Will that adjustment continue to key Denver’s success going forward?

And how much of a factor will home-court advantage be for the rest of the series? The two teams have split their home games so far, but during the regular season, no Western Conference clubs were better at home than the Nuggets (34-7) or Spurs (32-9). Conversely, they were also the only two Western playoff teams with losing records on the road — 20-21 for Denver and a dismal 16-25 for San Antonio. Those numbers certainly favor the Nuggets, who will host Game 5 and a possible Game 7.

What do you think? Are the Nuggets on track to win this series and advance to the second round of the postseason for the first time since 2009? Or will Gregg Popovich‘s Spurs win out and become the lowest-seeded playoff team to win a series since the No. 8 Sixers in 2012?

Vote below in our poll, then head to the comment section to weigh in!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

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Lakers Schedule Second Interview For Tyronn Lue

April 23rd, 2019 at 11:20am CST by marksuleymanov

APRIL 23: Lue will have his second interview with the Lakers on Wednesday, per Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. As noted below, this meeting will involve Buss in addition to Pelinka.

The team’s second interview with Williams is expected to happen later in the week.

APRIL 20: As the Lakers progress with their search for a new head coach, Tyronn Lue will be among those brought in for a second interview, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Dave McMenamin report (Twitter link).

Lue, who led the Cavaliers to a world championship three years ago, interviewed with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka on Friday. As Wojnarowski and McMenamin note, that meeting was held with the purpose of both sides getting to know one another, and setting up a second interview with owner Jeanie Buss.

Los Angeles met with Sixers’ assistant coach Monty Williams earlier in the week and is also expected to receive a second interview. As we relayed on Friday, the Lakers will also meet with Heat assistant coach Juwan Howard.

After three seasons at the helm, Luke Walton was dismissed by the Lakers at season’s end. He has since latched on with the Kings as their new head coach.
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Suns Notes: Kokoskov, Ayton, Coaching Search

April 23rd, 2019 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

The Suns‘ decision to dismiss head coach Igor Kokoskov was more about the club’s direction and circumstances rather than its win-loss record, says John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter links). When Kokoskov was hired, there was an expectation that the Suns would look to contend for a playoff spot right away, but after regressing and getting younger in 2018/19, the club wants to start over with someone new.

As Gambadoro explains (via Twitter), the Suns figure to target a coach who is more of a player-development specialist than a tactician. Deandre Ayton‘s development, in particular, will be a primary focus for the club’s next coach, with Gambadoro suggesting (via Twitter) that the young center wasn’t always used in the right way during his rookie season.

While Monty Williams and David Vanterpool have been identified as the first two names on the Suns’ list of potential targets, the team is expected to talk to many candidates, according to Gambadoro, who notes that there’s no set timeline for a new hire.

Here’s more on the Suns:

  • Touching on another reason that Kokoskov was let go, Gambadoro tweets that Suns players liked the head coach, but felt as though assistant Joe Prunty was more in charge of the bench than Kokoskov was.
  • The Suns are about to employ their seventh head coach since the start of the 2012/13 season, and Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic argues that team owner Robert Sarver is to blame for the seemingly endless coaching turnover in Phoenix. All of the Suns’ dysfunction can be traced back to Sarver, according to Somers, who writes that the owner mistakenly believes he knows how to identify talent on the court and in the front office.
  • The Suns named James Jones as their permanent general manager and hired Jeff Bower as their senior VP of basketball operations the day after the regular season ended. Since then, Jones and Bower have yet to speak publicly. That has to change after the firing of Kokoskov, per Sean Deveney of Sporting News, who contends that the club owes it to its fans to explain the decision and discuss the franchise’s direction.
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