Month: November 2024

Virgina’s De’Andre Hunter Entering 2019 NBA Draft

April 15th, 2019 at 3:12pm CST by Luke Adams

For the second time today, a member of Virgina’s title-winning team has confirmed his intent to enter the 2019 NBA draft. Following Ty Jerome‘s announcement earlier in the day, sophomore wing De’Andre Hunter has made an announcement of his own, revealing in an Instagram post that he’s declaring for the draft and signing with an agent.

Hunter, who scored 27 points to go along with nine rebounds in the NCAA championship game last Monday, had a big year for the Cavaliers, posting 15.2 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 2.0 APG with an impressive .520/.438/.783 shooting line.

A probable top-10 pick, Hunter considered entering the draft a year ago after his freshman season, but ultimately decided to stay with Virginia for another year, and that decision paid off in a big way. Besides winning a title in his sophomore year, the youngster is also a more promising NBA prospect now, having moved up from No. 18 on ESPN’s big board a year ago to No. 5 now.

In his scouting report on Hunter, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony praises the sophomore’s efficiency on offense and his versatility on defense, observing that the 21-year-old has “prototypical physical tools” for a modern NBA forward. Givony has Hunter going fifth overall to the Hawks in his latest mock draft, noting that Atlanta could use a big wing/combo forward alongside scorers like Trae Young and Kevin Huerter.

Hoops Rumors’ 2019 NBA Award Picks: Executive Of The Year

April 15th, 2019 at 2:52pm 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 over the next two weeks.

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 kicking things off today with the award for Executive of the Year. Here are our selections:

Chris Crouse: Jon Horst (Bucks)
There are many deserving candidates this season, but Horst’s work in putting a full team around Giannis Antetokounmpo is especially deserving of recognition. The Bucks had the best record in the league backed by the best defense in the NBA and a top-5 offense.

Milwaukee’s maneuvers over the past few years began this journey to what could be a 2018/19 Eastern Conference crown and Horst’s transactions since the end of last season took the team from an up-and-coming squad to a legit contender. Signing Brook Lopez with the bi-annual exception, negotiating the pair of trades that netted Nikola Mirotic, and inking Eric Bledsoe to a long-term deal all qualify as wins. Landing Mike Budenholzer to coach the team is also a major accomplishment.

The executive of the year award sometimes rewards team presidents and GMs for the culmination of their work and in other years, it’s based on the moves made within the calendar year. Horst checks off both boxes and should receive this season’s hardware.

Clark Crum: Jon Horst (Bucks)
The Bucks won 60 games when nobody expected them to do so and finished with the franchise’s best regular season record in 38 years. Horst’s best move was clearly hiring head coach Budenholzer this offseason, but let us not forget the other, smaller transactions he oversaw along the way. First, he didn’t overpay Jabari Parker, opting instead to rescind the former No. 2 overall pick’s qualifying offer. He then signed (no, stole) Lopez for only $3.3MM and also traded for both George Hill and Mirotic. The Bucks had a terrific season, and Horst should be recognized as such.

Austin Kent: Brett Brown/Elton Brand (Sixers)
The departure of LeBron James last summer left a gaping hole at the top of the Eastern Conference and there was no shortage of teams eager to make short-term moves and fill it. The front office that best positioned itself to leave a larger impact in 2018/19 than it did last season was Philadelphia.

Brett Brown and Elton Brand helped the Sixers evolve this season from an upstart young team with a hypothetically great young duo into a legitimate championship threat. They could have played it safe and let Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons sharpen their teeth in the playoffs – nobody would have derided them for a loss in the first or second round – but they altered their roster significantly to pad their core with a hardened leader in Jimmy Butler and underrated supplemental star in Tobias Harris.

The fact that they did so while patching together a competent rotation on the fly and not mortgaging their future is an accomplishment worthy of praise.

Dana Gauruder: Jon Horst (Bucks)
We’ve seen other small market teams make missteps while building around a superstar. Horst and the Bucks have mostly made the right moves while heading into the playoffs with the NBA’s best record.

Lopez turned into one of the biggest steals in last season’s free agent market. Horst won the bidding for Mirotic at the trade deadline and the sharp-shooting forward could be a key in the playoffs. Hill’s contract (non-guaranteed $18MM next season) gives the front office some flexibility. Bledsoe’s extension near season’s end was a reasonable price for a starting point guard. All in all, nice work for a young GM.

Luke Adams: Masai Ujiri (Raptors)
The criteria for Executive of the Year isn’t quite as byzantine as the criteria for some of the NBA’s other awards, but it can still be tricky to determine how heavily to weigh the impact of an executive’s current-season moves versus his previous moves coming to fruition. In Ujiri’s case, it’s hard to separate the two, given how obviously they’re connected.

His biggest swing – acquiring Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and a draft pick – was a direct response to the Raptors’ previous playoff failures and has worked out so far, raising the team’s postseason ceiling. Meanwhile, many of Ujiri’s previous non-lottery draft picks or UDFA signings have either developed into important rotation players – like Fred VanVleet, Norman Powell, and especially Pascal Siakam – or have been key pieces in major trades, as was the case for Poeltl and Delon Wright (dealt in the package for Marc Gasol).

It remains to be seen whether the Raptors can exorcise their playoff demons and make a legitimate title run, but Ujiri has been aggressive and creative in building the most talented roster Toronto has ever had.

Arthur Hill: Jon Horst (Bucks)
The Bucks have seemed destined for greatness ever since drafting Antetokounmpo, but Horst found the right complementary players and the right coach to make it happen. Signing Lopez and Ersan Ilyasova in free agency and then adding Mirotic in a deadline trade gave the Bucks plenty of shooters to surround Antetokounmpo and to maximize Budenholzer’s philosophy that emphasizes the 3-pointer. Horst made all the right decisions to lead Milwaukee to the best record in the league.

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

Up next: Coach of the Year.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Gonzaga’s Rui Hachimura Declares For Draft

April 15th, 2019 at 1:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Gonzaga’s junior power forward Rui Hachimura has entered his name in the 2019 NBA draft pool, he announced on Monday. According to a press release from the program, Hachimura will hire an agent and pursue a professional career.

“The last three years at Gonzaga have been a dream come true, and now I’d like to pursue my next dream of playing in the NBA,” Hachimura said in a statement. “This was a significant decision for my family and myself. I just want to thank everyone at Gonzaga, especially the coaching staff and all of my teammates who went to battle with me and are my brothers for life.”

The West Coast Conference Player of the Year, Hachimura took a huge step forward in his junior year for the Zags, averaging 19.7 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 1.5 APG while shooting 59.1% from the field.

Hachimura is ranked 18th on ESPN’s big board, though Jeff Goodman of Stadium notes (via Twitter) that many NBA executives believe he’ll be drafted in the 8-to-15 range. Wherever he comes off the board, the 21-year-old is set to become the first Japanese player ever selected in the NBA draft.

As Mike Schmitz details in ESPN’s scouting report, Hachimura projects as a versatile frontcourt defender and has a promising shooting touch, though he’s much stronger from mid-range than from beyond the arc. The 6’9″ forward has an “intriguing physical profile” for a modern power forward, Schmitz writes.

Execs Project Four Years, $60MM+ For Malcolm Brogdon

April 15th, 2019 at 12:29pm CST by Luke Adams

While Malcolm Brogdon is unlikely to receive the same sort of maximum-salary or near-max contract that Bucks teammate Khris Middleton will sign in free agency, the former Rookie of the Year is in line for a significant raise of his own after earning the minimum this season.

Executives around the NBA believe that Brogdon – who is eligible for restricted free agency – is looking at a contract worth just north of $60MM over four years, writes Sean Deveney of Sporting News. One general manager described Brogdon’s market as “Marcus Smart-plus,” Deveney adds.

Smart, a restricted free agent in 2018, ultimately re-signed with the Celtics on a four-year deal worth $52MM. While Smart’s contract was worth $13MM per year, it sounds like execs expect Brogdon to reach at least $15MM annually on his next deal. The 26-year-old is currently sidelined with a foot injury, but had his best season in 2018/19, averaging 15.6 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 3.2 APG with a sparkling .505/.426/.928 shooting line in 64 games (28.6 MPG).

It will be an interesting offseason for the Bucks, who already have approximately $70.6MM on their books for 2019/20. That’s before taking into account possible new deals for Middleton and Brogdon, not to mention role players like Nikola Mirotic, Brook Lopez, and George Hill — Mirotic and Lopez will be unrestricted free agents, while Hill will almost certainly be waived to avoid guaranteeing him an extra $17MM.

If the Bucks are forced to commit over $40MM in starting salaries for Middleton and Brogdon, it would significantly limit the team’s ability to make additional upgrades.

Of course, the fact that Brogdon will be a restricted free agent makes him a wild card as the Bucks enter the summer. If another team wants an RFA badly enough, it can force a team to make a tough decision by extending an aggressive offer sheet — Tim Hardaway, Allen Crabbe, and Tyler Johnson are among the RFAs who have signed oversized offer sheets in recent years.

On the other hand, if that sort of offer sheet doesn’t materialize by the time that cap room around the league dries up, leverage shifts back to the team, potentially forcing the free agent to accept a below-market deal. I don’t necessarily expect that to happen in Brogdon’s case, but it will be an intriguing situation to watch as Milwaukee potentially makes an effort to lock up its core for years to come.

Durant Says He Has Yet To Make FA Decision

April 15th, 2019 at 11:15am CST by Luke Adams

Kevin Durant recognizes that speculation about free agency and player movement is appealing to NBA fans, but as the Warriors gear up for another postseason run, the star forward tells Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated that he’d prefer those fans shift their focus to the games happening now.

“Just watch the game. Just focus on the game and stop nitpicking, because it is a beautiful game going on out there,” Durant said. “What can I do right now? I can’t sign a paper. I got to do the most important thing, and that is play. And that is what we should be focusing on.

“I know it’s the sexy part of the NBA: free agency, trades, transactions. But it’s a beautiful game that we’re out here playing. I feel like I play a different and unique way that may inspire some people.”

According to Durant, he has yet to make a decision on where he’ll be playing next season, and won’t do so until he reaches free agency on July 1. All season long, reports have popped up suggesting that people around the league believe the two-time Finals MVP will end up leaving Golden State to sign with the Knicks, but Durant insists that he won’t make that decision until after the season.

“If I already made a decision, it would take away from the team, what we’re fighting for. Every play would be overshadowed by it,” Durant said, per Spears. “It is not necessary for me to make a decision right now. It would be bad to do that. It would take the focus off of what is important. I would never want to put my teammates in a messed-up position. I want to forget about it.”

While Durant has a player option available for the 2019/20 season, he’s expected to turn that down to sign a new contract in unrestricted free agency. He’ll be eligible to sign for up to five years and a projected $221MM with the Warriors, or four years and $164MM with another team.

Kings Hire Luke Walton As Head Coach

April 15th, 2019 at 11:07am CST by Arthur Hill

APRIL 15: The Kings have officially hired Walton as their new head coach, the team announced today in a press release.

“I have known Luke for many years and I am so excited to welcome him and his family to the Sacramento Kings,” Divac said in a statement. “I look forward to his leadership on the court as we work to build a winning culture for many years to come.”

APRIL 13: The Kings will hire Luke Walton as their next head coach, tweets Sean Cunningham of ABC10 in Sacramento. Walton and the Kings have agreed on a contract that will run through the 2022/23 season, tweets Sam Amick of The Athletic.

Sources tell Cunningham that the search moved quickly because of GM Vlade Divac’s fondness for Walton, whom he wanted to hire in 2016. Other candidates for the job were told they would only get an opportunity if negotiations with Walton fall through, per Amick (Twitter link).

Sacramento’s front office asked Walton to interview with them yesterday and was reportedly also seeking permission to talk with Spurs assistant Ettore Messina. Walton compiled a 98-148 mark in three seasons with the Lakers before mutually agreeing to part ways with the organization.

The Kings are about to hire their seventh head coach of the decade after their surprising decision to fire Dave Joerger on Thursday. Joerger won 98 games in three seasons and had Sacramento in the playoff race for most of the year. The team’s 39-43 record under Joerger in 2018/19 was its best mark since the 2005/06 season.

Walton has spent the last three seasons as the Lakers’ head coach, compiling a 98-148 (.398) overall mark with the franchise. Walton technically improved his record every year as the Lakers’ coach, winning 26, 35, and 37 games in his three seasons. However, this season’s squad, hit hard by injuries and negatively impacted by the midseason Anthony Davis trade-rumor saga, fell well short of expectations following last summer’s acquisition of LeBron James.

The Lakers’ underachievement resulted in Walton’s ouster this week, even with Magic Johnson no longer running the show in Los Angeles. However, it didn’t take the former Warriors assistant long to find a new head coaching job.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Virginia’s Ty Jerome Enters 2019 NBA Draft

April 15th, 2019 at 10:35am CST by Luke Adams

After winning the NCAA championship with Virginia a week ago, junior guard Ty Jerome has announced via Instagram that he’s entering the 2019 NBA draft and hiring an agent.

The NCAA’s new eligibility rules would allow Jerome to change his mind and withdraw from the draft by May 29 even after he signs with an agent. However, the wording of his announcement suggests he’s leaning strongly toward going pro, as he indicated that he’ll “forgo” his senior year of college.

Jerome is coming off a junior year in which he averaged 13.6 PPG, 5.5 APG, 4.2 RPG, and 1.5 SPG with a .435/.399/.736 shooting line for the national champs. He also played a key role in the squad’s March Madness run, averaging 20.3 PPG, 7.0 APG, and 6.7 RPG in the Elite Eight, Final Four, and national title games.

Jerome ranks 29th on ESPN’s big board, which would make him a borderline first-round pick in this year’s draft.

De’Andre Hunter, Jerome’s teammate at Virginia, will likely join him in 2019’s draft pool soon. Hunter has yet to make an announcement one way or another, but ranks as the No. 5 prospect in ESPN’s top 100.

2019 NBA Head Coaching Search Tracker

April 15th, 2019 at 9:36am CST by Luke Adams

So far this spring, we have yet to see the sort of NBA head coaching turnover we got a year ago, when eight teams made changes. However, a handful of clubs have parted ways – mutually or otherwise – with their head coaches since the end of the 2018/19 regular season.

In the space below, we’ll provide daily updates on the head coaching searches for each club that has yet to give anyone the permanent title. Some of these searches could extend well into the spring, so be sure to check back each day for the latest updates.

Updated 6-11-19 (11:05am CT)

Completed Searches:

Cleveland Cavaliers

Out: Larry Drew (story)
In: John Beilein (story)
Although Drew did an admirable job in difficult circumstances with the Cavaliers in 2018/19 after taking over for Tyronn Lue six games into the season, he never seemed to want the job on a permanent basis. He and the Cavs agreed to part ways at season’s end, and after a long interview process that saw the club focus primarily on NBA assistants, Cleveland decided to turn to the college ranks by hiring Beilein. The two sides reportedly agreed to a five-year contract. The Cavs later hired J.B. Bickerstaff as Beilein’s associate head coach.
Also considered: Juwan Howard (story), Jamahl Mosley (story), J.B. Bickerstaff (story), Alex Jensen (story), Ime Udoka (story), Ettore Messina (story), Steve Hetzel (story), David Vanterpool (story), Nate Tibbetts (story), Wes Unseld Jr. (story), Jordi Fernandez (story)

Los Angeles Lakers

Out: Luke Walton (story)
In: Frank Vogel (story)
Following Magic Johnson‘s abrupt resignation, general manager Rob Pelinka oversaw a bumpy search for Walton’s replacement. Williams and Lue were believed to be L.A.’s top two targets, but Williams turned down a Lakers offer to join the Suns, and a potential deal with Lue fell through. The Lakers’ Plan B was Vogel, who signed a short-term (three-year) contract that will coincide with the remaining term on LeBron James‘ deal. Vogel will be joined by new assistant Jason Kidd.
Also considered: Monty Williams (turned down offer), Tyronn Lue (negotiations fell apart), Jason Kidd (story), Juwan Howard (story), Frank Vogel (story), J.B. Bickerstaff (story), Lionel Hollins (story), Mike Woodson (story)

Memphis Grizzlies

Out: J.B. Bickerstaff (story)
In: Taylor Jenkins (story)
The Grizzlies‘ front office was in a state of upheaval this spring as well, as veteran general manager Chris Wallace was re-assigned to the scouting department as the same time as Bickerstaff was dismissed. The team’s new-look front office took its time determining Bickerstaff’s replacement and eventually decided on Jenkins, who has several years of experience working under Mike Budenholzer in Atlanta and Milwaukee.
Also considered: Alex Jensen (story), Jarron Collins (story), Igor Kokoskov (story), Nate Tibbetts (story), Adrian Griffin (story), Sarunas Jasikevicius (story)

Minnesota Timberwolves

Retained: Ryan Saunders (story)
Newly-hired president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas launched a head coaching search after assuming control of the front office, considering several outside candidates for the job. Ultimately though, the Timberwolves decided to stick with Saunders, who was the team’s interim head coach during the second half of the 2018/19 season after Tom Thibodeau‘s ouster.
Also considered: Juwan Howard (story), David Vanterpool (story), Chris Finch (story), Darvin Ham (story)

Phoenix Suns

Out: Igor Kokoskov (story)
In: Monty Williams (story)
The turnover in the Suns’ head coaching ranks continued this spring, as the team elected to dismiss Kokoskov just one year after hiring him. Phoenix’s new management group made a strong long-term commitment to its new choice for head coach, agreeing to a five-year contract with Williams, who will be responsible for shepherding a young roster led by Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, and Mikal Bridges.
Also considered: David Vanterpool (story), Nate Tibbetts (story)

Sacramento Kings

Out: Dave Joerger (story)
In: Luke Walton (story)
Just two days after they fired Joerger and one day after Walton officially left the Lakers, the Kings reached an agreement to hire Walton as their head coach on a contract that will run through the 2022/23 season. The expedited process reflected the fact that Walton was the No. 1 choice on Vlade Divac‘s wish list, as the recently-extended Kings GM wasted no time in going after his top target. Originally hired by the Lakers to focus on developing their young prospects, Walton should be tasked with a similar role in Sacramento, assuming an investigation into sexual assault allegations against Walton doesn’t prompt the team to change course.
Also considered: Ettore Messina (story), Monty Williams (story)

Blake Griffin May Not Return In First Round

April 15th, 2019 at 7:54am CST by Luke Adams

After missing Game 1 of the Pistons‘ series vs. the Bucks, Blake Griffin appears no closer to returning to the court. According to Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports, Griffin will likely end up missing Detroit’s entire first round series.

Griffin, who was the Pistons’ best player during the regular season, initially missed three games with a sprained knee before returning on April 5 vs. Oklahoma City. After that game, the knee swelled up again, limiting his availability and effectiveness vs. Charlotte and Memphis during the final week of the season. Griffin was sidelined for the team’s must-win regular season finale vs. New York and also sat out Game 1 on Sunday.

According to Goodwill, Griffin is expected to be listed as day-to-day for the remainder of the series, with a source suggesting there’s a “slim chance” he plays on the weekend. Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press notes (via Twitter) that he’s gotten the same vibe from people he has spoken to, adding that the club is “holding out hope” that the star forward will be able to return. Game 2 will take place in Milwaukee on Wednesday, with Game 3 in Detroit scheduled for Saturday.

Although there’s no structural damage, Goodwill writes that Griffin and the Pistons will determine after the season ends whether he requires a procedure on his troublesome knee.

If Griffin is unable to play vs. the Bucks, the Pistons’ season will likely come to an end sooner rather than later. Milwaukee blew out Detroit by 35 points on Sunday, as the Pistons were unable to keep up with MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks’ high-powered attack.

Pacific Notes: Durant, Walton, Beverley, Joerger

April 14th, 2019 at 9:45pm CST by JD Shaw

Kevin Durant‘s poor temper could prove costly for the Warriors down the stretch of the playoffs, with the two-time NBA Finals MVP already accruing two technical fouls in the first game of the postseason, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports writes.

According to NBA rules, a player will receive a one-game suspension if he reaches seven technical fouls during the playoffs. Durant was one of the league’s leaders with 15 techs during the regular season, often times expressing his displeasure with missed calls or getting into it with opposing players. In Game 1 on Saturday, it was Clippers guard Patrick Beverley who got in Durant’s head, leading to both players being ejected.

“Oh, sure, we took the bait,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said of Durant’s ejection, according to Haynes. “[Kevin] took the bait. That’s two technicals. You get seven technicals, your seventh one is a suspension in the playoffs. Whether you play four playoff games or 24, seven is the magic number. He’s got four to play with after one game. But that’s what Beverley does. We talked about it for the last couple days. He’s a hell of a defender. He plays hard. Got a lot of respect for him.”

The Warriors are seeking their fourth championship in five years and need Durant’s production, sporting an elite starting lineup that consists of him, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and DeMarcus Cousins. The team took a 121-104 victory in Game 1 despite Durant being ejected, though it’s imperative he maintains his composure as the team looks to make a deep playoff run.

“I’ve been playing against Pat Beverley since he was at Arkansas, so I kind of know what he brings,” Durant said. “He’s a Chicago kid, grew up and played in the Chicago area, so those dudes play with a different type of grit, so I can appreciate that about Pat. You know what he’s going to bring to the table, just physicality, the mucking up the game a little bit with his physicality, his talking, everything. That’s what he brings to each team he plays on. That’s his identity, and they support him with the Clippers. For me, I know that coming into the series. I thought it was fun tonight.”

There’s more out of the Pacific Division tonight:

Jason Jones of The Athletic examines how new head coach Luke Walton could make the Kings a better team. Walton, who was hired by the team one day after mutually agreeing to leave the Lakers, holds a strong record with several NBA players and officials. He was an assistant on the Warriors’ 2015 championship team, proving his worth as a coach under Steve Kerr and registering interest from multiple teams around the league at the time — including the Kings.
Clippers coach Doc Rivers had a problem with Patrick Beverley‘s play earlier in the season, eventually leading to a positive turning point for the team, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times wrote. “Early in the year we struggled with Pat,” coach Doc Rivers said last week, “because he was struggling buying in.” Beverley has since bought in, leading the Clippers at the point guard position and helping the team obtain a 48-34 record on the season.
The Kings’ sudden decision to fire head coach Dave Joerger caught him by surprise, agent Warren LeGarie told Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. “Obviously, it’s a great disappointment,” LeGarie said as part of a larger statement. “Dave thought, in light of the youth of the team and other challenges, he did a good job, certainly one that other people have recognized around the league. And, more importantly, exceeded expectations.” Joerger spent full three seasons with Sacramento as coach before being dismissed.

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