2019 April | Hoops Rumors

Poll: Most Appealing NBA Head Coaching Opening

April 16th, 2019 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams

As our head coaching search tracker shows, there are currently three NBA head coaching jobs up for grabs. That number looked like it might get as high as five early in the offseason, but the Kings quickly replaced Dave Joerger with Luke Walton, while the Timberwolves appear likely – for now – to retain interim coach Ryan Saunders.

That leaves three teams in the market for a head coach. The most noteworthy club in that group is the Lakers, who are undergoing some upheaval in the front office as well after Magic Johnson‘s abrupt resignation.

Walton was originally hired in Los Angeles to help develop the team’s group of young prospects, and he was doing a decent job of that before the 2018/19 season rolled around. Once LeBron James joined the Lakers, expectations changed for Walton and the team, and like David Blatt in Cleveland, he was no longer viewed as the right man for the job.

Coaching James isn’t an easy job, and the Lakers are in disarray at the moment, but they’re still the Lakers, one of the most storied franchises in any sport. And of the three teams seeking head coaches, they’re the closest to contention, particularly if they’re able to land a second star to pair with LeBron on the trade market or in free agency this summer. That should make the job appealing to veteran coaches, particularly those with previous head coaching experiences.

The Cavaliers, on the other hand, will likely be in the market for a younger, up-and-coming coach who has a strong player-development background and perhaps extensive experience as an assistant as well.

With LeBron no longer around in Cleveland, the Cavaliers are still in the relatively early stages of a full-fledged rebuild, with building blocks like Collin Sexton, Cedi Osman, Larry Nance, and a top-six pick in 2019 making up the future core. Since contention isn’t an immediate priority, the Cavs will want to find their own version of Kenny Atkinson or Lloyd Pierce, who can grow along with the team’s young players.

As for the Grizzlies, they might be somewhere in the middle. As long as Mike Conley is still on the roster, the team won’t be entering a full-fledged rebuild. But there’s no guarantee that the new decision-makers in the front office won’t trade Conley this season, kick-starting a rebuild centered around Jaren Jackson.

None of these jobs necessarily represents a perfect situation for a new head coach. The Lakers haven’t been to the postseason since 2013, their president of basketball operations just quit on the team, and no NBA player has more power than LeBron. The Cavs’ roster isn’t exactly loaded with talent, and Dan Gilbert doesn’t have a reputation as one of the league’s best owners. The Grizzlies just fired head coach J.B. Bickerstaff hours after since-demoted general manager Chris Wallace assured reporters that Bickerstaff would be back for 2019/20.

What do you think? Which of these head coaching openings looks most appealing? And would the Kings have been your pick if they hadn’t filled their vacancy so quickly?

Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section to share your thoughts!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Lakers Meeting With Williams On Tuesday, Lue On Friday

April 16th, 2019 at 11:55am CST by Luke Adams

11:55am: Pelinka is meeting with Williams today to discuss the club’s head coaching job, tweets Turner.

10:46am: Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka is scheduled to meet with Tyronn Lue this Friday in Los Angeles to discuss the team’s head coaching position, reports Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).

Lue is one of a handful of candidates the Lakers are said to be considering to replace Luke Walton, who was let go last week. Team officials are reportedly traveling to meet with Sixers assistant Monty Williams this week, and an interview with Heat assistant Juwan Howard is also expected to take place at some point this week.

A former NBA point guard, Lue began his coaching career as an assistant in Boston under Doc Rivers in 2011. After moving with Rivers to the Clippers for one season in 2013/14, Lue made his way to Cleveland, where he was an assistant for a year and a half before taking the head coaching reins from David Blatt midway through the 2015/16 campaign.

Lue led the Cavaliers to a championship that season and brought the team back to the NBA Finals in each of the following two years. After LeBron James‘ departure during the 2018 offseason, Lue lasted just six more games, having been replaced by Larry Drew in the fall once the Cavs started this season 0-6.

During his time in Cleveland, Lue had to take a health-related leave of absence due to chest pains which were believed to be compounded by stress. However, Joe Vardon of The Athletic recently wrote that the former Cavs coach is healthy now, having lost 35 pounds with a new workout plan and diet. The fact that Lue is willing to pursue the Lakers’ job suggests he’s confident he can return to a demanding position.

Hornets’ Biyombo Picks Up 2019/20 Player Option

April 16th, 2019 at 9:34am CST by Luke Adams

Hornets center Bismack Biyombo has exercised his 2019/20 player option, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). By opting in, Biyombo will assure himself of a $17MM salary for next season.

Biymobo, who signed a four-year, $68MM contract with the Magic in the summer of 2016, was traded to the Hornets in a three-team deal during the 2018 offseason. He subsequently appeared in 54 games (32 starts) for Charlotte, averaging 4.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 0.8 BPG in 14.5 minutes per contest.

Biyombo’s decision comes as no surprise, given his limited role over the last few seasons and the fact that he’s unlikely to secure another major payday in free agency. With Marvin Williams planning to exercise a $15MM+ player option of his own, the Hornets can count on an extra $32MM+ in guaranteed money hitting their cap for 2019/20.

With those two options locked in, the Hornets’ team salary for ’19/20 is up to approximately $81MM, per Basketball Insiders. That figure doesn’t include Michael Kidd-Gilchrist‘s $13MM option, which is also a decent bet to be picked up, or Tony Parker‘s $5.25MM non-guaranteed salary. And, most notably, it doesn’t include a salary for Kemba Walker, who will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

In other words, the Hornets already project to be an over-the-cap team even before determining whether they can retain their All-Star guard, so it will be difficult for the club to add roster reinforcements this summer.

As for Biyombo, he’s now on track to reach unrestricted free agency in July of 2020, assuming he’s not bought out or released outright before then.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

DeMarcus Cousins Out “A While” With Quad Injury

April 16th, 2019 at 9:02am CST by Luke Adams

9:02am: With an MRI still to come, there’s “faint” optimism that Cousins could be healthy in time to return for a potential NBA Finals appearance, but the expectation is that he’ll miss the rest of the playoffs, reports Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

8:02am: The Warriors fear that starting center DeMarcus Cousins suffered a season-ending torn left quad during Monday’s loss to the Clippers, league sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The team, which is hoping the quad is just strained, won’t be able to confirm the extent of the injury until conducting an MRI later today, Wojnarowski adds.

“There’s a pretty significant quad injury,” head coach Steve Kerr said after the game. “We’ll get an MRI, but he’s going to be out for — I’ll just say a while because I think it’s unclear right now how long he’ll be out. It’s significant.”

The non-contact injury occurred as Cousins was going after a loose ball during the first quarter of Monday’s Game 2 matchup vs. the Clippers. To add insult to injury, the Warriors later blew a 31-point lead, allowing Los Angeles to even the first-round series at 1-1.

If Cousins’ injury is season-ending, it’s another horrible stroke of luck for the former All-NBA big man, whose 2017/18 season was cut short by an Achilles tear. That injury prevented Cousins from making the first postseason appearance of his career with the Pelicans last spring, and scuttled his chances of a massive payday.

The 28-year-old ultimately settled for a below-market deal with the defending champions in the hopes of making a title run, rebuilding his value, and returning to free agency this summer. He appeared to be on his way to doing just that after averaging 16.3 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 3.6 APG, and 1.5 BPG in 30 games (25.7 MPG) upon returning from his Achilles tear. However, after having suited up for just two playoff games, Cousins may now once again be recovering from a major injury when he hits the open market in July.

“It’s tough, for sure,” teammate Stephen Curry said, per ESPN’s report. “You feel for him considering what he’s been through this last year. This is a big stage, the playoffs. He’s been looking forward to this. I don’t know the extent of the injury at this point. Hope he gets back sooner than later. Just man-to-man in terms of him, what he’s been through, it’s tough for sure. There’s no sugarcoating it at all. You hate seeing that opportunity again on this big stage taken away from him like that.”

With Cousins sidelined, the Warriors will lean more heavily on Andrew Bogut and Kevon Looney at the five, with Jordan Bell perhaps seeing occasional minutes as well.

Western Notes: Cousins, Grizzlies, Divac, Griffin

April 15th, 2019 at 10:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

DeMarcus Cousins suffered a left quad injury during the first quarter of the Warriors’ game against the Clippers on Monday night will undergo an MRI on Tuesday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. Cousins suffered the non-contact injury while making a steal. If the injury is serious, it would naturally be a major blow to Golden State’s quest for a third straight championship. The Warriors signed Andrew Bogut late in the season and his role would grow if Cousins misses significant time.

We have more from the Western Conference:

The Grizzlies may be more focused on front office hires than filling their head coaching vacancy, David Cobb of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports. J.B. Bickerstaff was fired and head of basketball operations Chris Wallace was re-assigned to a scouting position last week. Jason Wexler was promoted to team president and Zach Kleiman was named executive VP of basketball operations. “Trending that way,” Wexler told Cobb about the need to fill out the front office before hiring a coach. “But at the same time, I’m not definitely saying that we’ll have a full front office as we move through the coaching search. There will be a little bit of dual-tracking, but focusing a little bit more heavily on the front office out of the gate.” There’s been no talk yet about potential candidates, as we detail in our Head Coaching Search Tracker.
Kings GM Vlade Divac hinted at a disconnect between himself and former coach Dave Joerger during Luke Walton‘s introductory press conference on Monday. Divac, who played with Walton on the Lakers 14 seasons ago, commented that he hired someone who was “on the same page” with him. “I think coaching is the toughest job in the NBA,” he told Noel Harris of the Sacramento Bee and other media members. “Having somebody who is behind you to work together, be on the same page and share the same philosophy about the game is definitely going to help both of us.”
David Griffin, who was hired over the weekend to run the Pelicans’ front office, received assurances from the franchise that it would bring in reinforcements to its basketball staff, Scott Kushner of the New Orleans Advocate reports. The front office, including the scouting department, executive staff and developmental arm, will be expanded. Griffin might still hire a GM and several assistant GM to work beneath him, though he will be the ultimate decision-maker on basketball moves, Kushner adds.

Draft Notes: Fernando, Cowan Jr., McDowell-White, Shuler

April 15th, 2019 at 9:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Maryland sophomore forward Bruno Fernando intends to declare for the draft, according to a school press release. Fernando averaged a double-double this season at 13.6 PPG and 10.6 RPG. He’s ranked No. 34 on ESPN’s Jonathan Givony’s latest Top 100 prospects list. Terrapins junior guard Anthony Cowan Jr. will do the same and both will sign with agents, who will work with the Maryland coaching staff throughout the process. Cowan Jr. averaged 15.6 PPG and 4.4 APG during his junior year.

We have more draft news:

Australian point guard William McDowell-White has submitted paperwork to make himself eligible for the draft, Givony reports. McDowell-White previously made Givony’s Top 100 list but he suffered a foot injury in November while playing in Germany and missed an extensive amount of time. McDowell-White will travel to the U.S. at the beginning of next month for workouts, Givony adds. He declared for the 2018 draft before withdrawing.
Ole Miss guard Devontae Shuler will test the draft waters, according to a tweet from the school’s media relations department. Shuler, who is not ranked in Givony’s Top 100, averaged 1o.3 PPG during his sophomore season.
Lithuanian point guard Arnas Velicka intends to declare for the draft, according to a Sportando report. Velicka averaged 19.2 PPG and 5.6 APG in the Estonian-Latvian Basketball League with Tartu Ulikool Rock.
Indiana guard Devonte Green intends to declare for the draft but isn’t sure if he’ll hire an agent, Ben Stinar of Amico Hoops tweets. Green averaged 9.4 PPG and 3.0 APG as a junior.
Little Rock guard Rayjon Tucker will also dip his toes into the draft pool, Evan Daniels of 247 Sports tweets. Tucker averaged 20.3 PPG in his junior year and is looking at a variety of transfer options.

Southeast Notes: Riley, Heat Outlook, Bryant, Hornets

April 15th, 2019 at 7:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Heat president Pat Riley felt it was time to invest in his own roster after he failed to sign top-level free agents in recent years, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. “Once we didn’t land Kevin Durant or didn’t land Gordon Hayward, then it was time to sort of move on from searching for room and at the same time holding your other players hostage,” Riley said. “To move into a two- or three-year window with young players that we drafted and others who we thought were on-the-brink-to-make-it veterans that hadn’t made it somewhere else. What we came up with and what we found out is that we have a very, very competitive team.”

We have more from around the Southeast Division:

Riley made moves during the trade deadline to get rid of the glut of guards and wing players on the roster. He also waived Rodney McGruder right before the end of the regular season to dodge the luxury tax. He feels the roster is much more balanced now heading into the summer. “I think we have built a base. … We have our draft choices,” he said. “The possibilities of room are right around the road. Don’t be making any kind of conclusions about next year in that we’re stuck with certain contracts or whatever it is you think we can’t get out of. That would be foolish thinking on your part.”
Center Thomas Bryant will be a restricted free agent if the Wizards extend a qualifying offer of $3MM and he intends to re-sign, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. “They gave me an opportunity to play,” said Bryant, who inherited the starting job with Dwight Howard playing only nine games. “Why would I want to leave?” Retaining Bryant is high on the current front office’s priority list but the GM who replaces fired Ernie Grunfeld might not feel the same way, Hughes points out. League provisions could also come into play if Bryant signs an offer sheet. The Wizards hold his Early Bird rights but salary-cap concerns would grow if Bryant signs a back-loaded contract.
If the Hornets move up in the lottery and snag a top-three pick, GM Mitch Kupchak would likely listen to trade offers, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer opines in his latest mailbag. However, that would only make sense if Kupchak was confident that bringing in an impact veteran would secure a commitment from Kemba Walker. Otherwise, the Hornets would be in a rebuild mode, and a rookie with star potential would be more valuable to them.

Pistons Notes: Griffin, Drummond, Kennard

April 15th, 2019 at 6:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

There’s still plenty of uncertainty regarding Blake Griffin‘s status for the opening round of the playoffs. While Yahoo Sports reported that the Pistons All-Star power forward would likely miss the series against the Bucks, coach Dwane Casey said after practice on Monday that Griffin could play as soon as Game 2 on Wednesday. Griffin sat out Milwaukee’s 121-86 blowout victory on Sunday with a sore left knee.

“We need all hands on deck. He wants to play,” Casey said. “So when his body says he’s ready, whether it’s Wednesday night or Saturday (for Game 3), whenever it is, he’ll be available.”

Griffin, who worked out with the training staff during practice, said after the game that he wanted to play but the medical staff nixed it. Casey confirmed that Griffin is eager to return.

“He’s lobbying. He wants to play,” Casey said. “It’s the medical staff, the doctors are the ones making those decisions. Not me, not Blake.”

We have more on the Pistons:

Casey doesn’t think Andre Drummond‘s ejection during the third quarter on Sunday was warranted. Drummond received a Flagrant Two foul for shoving Bucks All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo to the court after Antetokounmpo grabbed an offensive rebound. “I’ve seen worse,” Casey said. “What do you expect our defense to do when you’re driving through there 100 miles an hour? Just move out of the way and let you go where you want to go?” Drummond was tight-lipped about the ejection because “I’m not trying to get fined.” There hasn’t been any indication the league will discipline Drummond for the foul.
Drummond recorded a minus-45 in the plus/minus category before he was tossed. That was the lowest in playoff history since at least 2001, according to Basketball-Reference. “I was more than ready. Prepared, ready to go,” he said. “I just have to do it a step harder.”
Casey felt his team played like it was just happy to be in the postseason while Milwaukee acted as if it had waited all season for the game. “The moment, playoffs, atmosphere, whatever it is, got us out of sync,” he said. The lone bright spot was the play of reserve guard Luke Kennard, who scored a team-high 21 points. “Luke was probably the most aggressive offensively of everybody and he was making the right basketball play,” Casey said.

Zion Williamson Officially Declares For Draft

April 15th, 2019 at 4:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Duke University star forward Zion Williamson, the projected top overall pick, has declared for the draft, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. Williamson made his announcement via Instagram.

Williamson was already a minor celebrity entering college due to his highlight-reel dunking ability. He became a breakout star early in his one-and-done season. The 6’7”, 285-pound Williamson scored 28 points in his Blue Devils debut against Kentucky and quickly ended any speculation who would be the likely top pick. The draft lottery will be held May 14.

In 33 games with Duke this season, Williamson averaged 22.6 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.8 BPG and 2.1 SPG in 30 MPG. He had 24 points, 14 rebounds, three blocks and three steals in his last game, an Elite Eight loss to Michigan State.

He’ll immediately be one of the best athletes in the NBA, according to ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony, due to his freakish combination of power, explosiveness, dexterity, coordination and body control. He needs work on his perimeter game (33.8% on 3-point attempts) but that should improve over time.

As the top pick, Williamson would make $9.74MM in his rookie season under the projected cap figures, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. His salary would escalate to $10.23MM, $10.71MM and $13.51MM over the next three seasons for an approximate total of $44.2MM, based on a $109MM cap.

Key 2019 NBA Offseason Dates, Deadlines

April 15th, 2019 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

With the 2018/19 NBA regular season in the books, nearly half of the league’s teams have shifted their focus to the offseason, and others will soon follow suit. With that in mind, it’s time to retire our list of the NBA’s key in-season dates and deadlines for the ’18/19 campaign in favor of an updated offseason calendar of the most important dates facing teams and players in the coming months.

Here’s a breakdown of many of the NBA’s important dates and deadlines for the next few months, right up until training camps open for the 2019/20 season:

April 21

Deadline for early entrants to declare for the NBA draft (10:59pm CT).
- Note: For more information on draft-related dates and deadlines, check out our full breakdown.

May 14

NBA draft lottery.

May 15-19

NBA draft combine.

May 29

Last day for early entrants to withdraw from the NBA draft and retain their NCAA eligibility (10:59pm CT).

June 10

Deadline for all early entrants (including international players) to withdraw from the NBA draft (4:00pm CT).

June 16

Latest possible end date for the NBA Finals.

June 20

NBA draft day.

June 24

Last day for potential restricted free agents to exercise player options.
NBA awards show.

June 29

Last day for decisions on player, team and early termination options, unless individual contracts specify otherwise.
Last day for teams to make qualifying offers to players eligible for restricted free agency.
Teams can begin contacting players and agents to set up free agent meetings (6:00pm ET).

June 30

Last official day of the 2018/19 NBA league year.
Last day for players eligible for veteran extensions in 2018/19 to sign them.

June 30 (6:00pm ET):

Official start of the 2019/20 NBA league year.
July moratorium begins.
Free agents can begin reaching verbal agreements with teams.
Restricted free agents can sign an offer sheet.
Teams can begin signing players to rookie scale contracts, minimum salary contracts, and two-way contracts.

July 6

July moratorium ends (11:00am CT)
Teams can begin officially signing players, extending players, and completing trades.
The two-day period for matching an RFA offer sheet signed during the moratorium begins.

July 13

Last day for teams to unilaterally withdraw qualifying offers to restricted free agents.

July 15

Last day for teams to issue required tenders to unsigned first-round picks; those players become free agents on July 16 if not tendered.

August 31

Last day for teams to waive players and apply the stretch provision to their 2018/19 salaries.

August 31 – September 15

FIBA World Cup 2019 in China.

September 5

Last day for teams to issue required tenders to unsigned second-round picks; those players become free agents on September 6 if not tendered.

Late September (specific dates TBA)

Training camps open.

Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ and NBA.com were used in the creation of this post.

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