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Month: November 2024

Draft Notes: Pelicans, Giddey, Murphy, Duarte, Thor

June 29th, 2021 at 8:29am CST by Luke Adams

There’s a belief that the Pelicans won’t be especially eager to add another rookie to an already young roster, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Insider link), who says the No. 10 pick in next month’s draft, currently held by New Orleans, is considered one of the most available in the lottery.

Within his latest mock draft, Givony also provides some intel on some other picks at the top of the draft, confirming that the Pistons are looking hard at Jalen Green and Evan Mobley, though most executives anticipate they’ll select Cade Cunningham. According to Givony, NBA teams don’t have a good feel for which direction the Rockets will go at No. 2, since the new front office doesn’t have an extensive track record. For now, Givony believes Green would be the pick for Houston over Mobley.

Here’s more on the 2021 NBA draft, which is exactly one month away:

  • In a separate Insider-only story for ESPN, Givony and Mike Schmitz break down the winners and losers of last week’s draft combine, noting that Australian prospect Josh Giddey was generating plenty of buzz despite not even attending the event in Chicago. James Bouknight, Sharife Cooper, and Trey Murphy were among the other projected first-round picks receiving positive feedback.
  • Speaking of Murphy, he has worked out for the Celtics and Spurs so far in the pre-draft process, as he told reporters. Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington has the story on the Virginia forward whose draft stock is on the rise.
  • The “rumor in Chicago” was that Oregon’s Chris Duarte, who pulled out of the draft combine, has received a guarantee early in the second round, per Marc Berman of The New York Post.
  • Potential first-round pick JT Thor of Auburn is working out for the Pacers, Hornets, Hawks, and Pelicans between now and July 6, as Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report details (Twitter link).
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Southwest Notes: Paul, Melli, K. Grant, Grizzlies

June 28th, 2021 at 9:33pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

With Suns point guard Chris Paul one game away from an NBA Finals appearance as of this writing, the Rockets‘ 2019 offseason trade of Paul has not aged well, writes Rahat Huq of the Houston Chronicle.

The deal sent Paul, two pick swaps and two future draft selections to the Thunder in exchange for Russell Westbrook, who lasted just one season in Houston before the team sent him to the Wizards for the oft-injured John Wall. Paul was sent to the Suns during the 2020 offseason.

Paul has been healthier during his two All-Star seasons following the deal than he was in Houston, Huq observes. The 2021 All-NBA Second-Teamer has appeared in 140 out of 144 possible regular season contests since being moved.

Huq opines that the fact that the Rockets, under the stewardship of then-team president Daryl Morey, felt compelled to trade picks to get off of Paul’s contract is especially frustrating now that Houston is in full rebuilding mode. At least the Rockets have the No. 2 selection in what looks to be an exciting 2021 draft.

Paul has a $44.2MM player option for the 2021/22 season, but it is anticipated that he may opt for a longer-term deal with more guaranteed years this summer.

There’s more out of the Southwest Division:

  • Free agent Mavericks big man Nicolò Melli is hoping to stick around in the NBA this summer, writes Aris Barkas of Eurohoops. Barkas writes that Melli may need to continue his career in Europe, where the 30-year-old vet last played during the 2018/19 season. He made his NBA debut with the Pelicans for the 2019/20 season. Melli was part of the deal that sent J.J. Redick to the Mavericks from New Orleans during the March trade deadline.
  • Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has indicated that assistant general manager Keith Grant, the club’s longtime salary cap expert, will remain with Dallas under new GM Nico Harrison, tweets Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News.
  • After 2018 lottery picks Trae Young and Deandre Ayton stepped up to help the the Hawks and the Suns reach their respective conference finals this year, the Grizzlies should be encouraged that their young core, led by 2019 No. 2 pick Ja Morant and 2018 No. 4 selection Jaren Jackson Jr., can follow suit, writes Evan Barnes of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Provided Jackson can return to Memphis healthy, Barnes believes the club can progress deeper into the postseason soon.
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California Notes: Jackson, KCP, L. Pierce, Warriors

June 28th, 2021 at 8:02pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Clippers starting point guard Reggie Jackson appears to have discovered a good NBA fit in L.A. after several prior stops, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. Jackson emerged as the club’s clear starting point guard since being inserted into the starting lineup in Game 3 of the team’s first-round series against the Mavericks. He is averaging for 17.8 PPG, 3.2 APG and 3.0 RPG across 17 games in these playoffs.

Shelburne notes that Jackson has been red-hot since becoming a starter during the postseason, and he has made his impact felt in a big way with L.A. Shelburne notes that the Clippers are plus-104 with Jackson on the floor, and he joins just two other players in league history to connect on at least three 3-point shots across 14 playoff contests.

“I’ve gone through my career trying to make the right play and not necessarily just being myself and coming out and playing the game,” Jackson said of his career before the Clippers. “But the more I just continue to be myself, the more this team empowered me to be myself, I’ve been able to find success.”

Jackson admitted that he contemplated retirement from the NBA last summer, before the Clippers came calling for a return appearance after he joined the club late in the 2019/20 season. “I was ready to leave. I was ready to give up,” Jackson said. “I thought I was going to retire because I just couldn’t get healthy.” Jackson inked a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal during the 2020 offseason, and should be in line for a major raise this summer thanks to his playoff output.

“It’s just about being positive and showing him that he’s wanted,” Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said. “One thing about Reggie, he’s always going to come in, speak to everybody, shake everybody’s hand… Whoever’s in the gym, general managers, the president, the owner, the equipment guys.”

There’s more out of California:

  • Lakers starting wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was robbed of an estimated $150K in belongings at gunpoint in front of his Los Angeles-area home, per TMZ Sports (h/t to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports). Caldwell-Pope and his friends at the scene were not physically harmed. The LAPD is currently looking into the theft.
  • Former Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce is being eyeballed for a potential position as an assistant coach under Warriors head coach Steve Kerr,  tweets Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Poole notes that both coaches will serve on the US Olympic Team’s bench under Gregg Popovich this summer. Pierce was let go by Atlanta after the team began the 2020/21 season with a disappointing 14-20 record. He had been the head man for the Hawks since 2018. A longtime NBA assistant, Pierce previously logged time as a Warriors assistant during 2010/11 under then-head coach Keith Smart.
  • With Klay Thompson poised to return after missing two full seasons due to lower-body injuries, the Warriors appear to be gearing up for a deep playoff run once again. Kendra Andrews of NBC Sports Bay Area considers four free agent wings the team could add on affordable deals to fill out its bench.
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Ivica Zubac To Miss Game 5 With MCL Sprain

June 28th, 2021 at 6:41pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Clippers center Ivica Zubac, who had started for the club in its last three games, will miss tonight’s contest against the Suns with a sprained right MCL, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.

According to Youngmisuk, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue told reporters that reserve big man DeMarcus Cousins will be a part of the team’s rotation for Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals. Lue noted that Cousins’s offense will be valuable against Phoenix. The four-time All-Star has played a total of 17 minutes and 14 seconds across the first four games of the series.

Since being inserted into the Clippers’ starting lineup, Zubac had averaged 14.0 PPG, 13.7 RPG, and 1.0 BPG while matched up against ascendant Suns center Deandre Ayton.

The absence of Zubac will especially be felt as the team strives to defend the pick-and-roll, writes Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times.

Mirjam Swanson of the Orange County Register noted earlier this afternoon that Zubac’s status ahead of the game was in doubt after he suffered the MCL sprain during Game 4 of the series on Saturday.

Zubac joins All-NBA wing Kawhi Leonard on the sidelines for L.A. The Clippers announced Sunday that Leonard would sit for tonight’s contest in Phoenix. Game 5 represents a potential closeout for the series, as the Suns lead the Clippers 3-1.

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Central Notes: Sexton, Cavs Expectations, Cavs Offseason, Middleton

June 28th, 2021 at 5:35pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

With the third pick in the 2021 draft now headed their way, the Cavaliers are set to consider a litany of offseason moves, including the possibility of trading 22-year-old combo guard Collin Sexton. However, sources close to Sexton anticipate that he will be part of the club’s long-term outlook, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

“Our guys are hungry. I think they understand that there’s talent here and that has to now translate into wins at some point,” team general manager Koby Altman said at the conclusion of the Cavaliers’ season, when the team finished with a disappointing 22-50 record. “It’s on me to help supplement that young talent and it’s on (head coach J.B. Bickerstaff) to keep growing the culture here.”

The 6’1″ Sexton shares an undersized starting backcourt with fellow 6’1″ recent lottery selection Darius Garland. Sexton had a standout season statistically, averaging career highs of 24.3 PPG and 4.4 APG, while tying his career highs of 3.1 RPG and 1.0 SPG.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

  • Given that they’re now armed with the No. 3 overall pick, it’s fair to expect growth from the Cavaliers next season, writes Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. “I don’t want to put the pressure and the burden on the young core that it’s playoffs or bust, although that’s sort of what they’re talking about,” GM Koby Altman told Lloyd on Bally Sports Great Lakes’ “Drennan Live.” “If it’s the play-in tournament, if it’s playoffs, that’s where their mindset is and what they’re thinking about every day.” Lloyd notes that his preference would be to trade leading scorer Sexton, eligible for a lucrative contract extension this summer, in exchange for a proven veteran.
  • The Cavaliers will have a lot of optionality during the 2021 offseason, as Bobby Marks of ESPN details in a detailed look at Cleveland’s summer. Marks contends that, with a high draft pick in a loaded, top-heavy 2021 draft, the Cavaliers will be able to build on their intriguing young core of guards Collin Sexton, Darius Garland, wing Isaac Okoro, and center Jarrett Allen, should the team opt to retain everyone. Marks notes that, because the Cavaliers’ salary cap is clogged with veteran contracts, the team needs to maximize the on-court value of those pricey veterans, including former All-Star Kevin Love.
  • Though Bucks All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t get along with swingman Khris Middleton during their first season together in 2013/14 as they battled one another for playing time, Antetokounmpo says he trusts his sharp-shooting sidekick “to death” now, as Eric Nehm of The Athletic writes. With the Bucks just two wins away from their first NBA Finals appearance in 47 years (not a typo), Middleton put on an offensive clinic in a triumphant Game 3 victory over the Hawks, pouring in 38 points to go along with 12 rebounds and seven assists. “It’s great seeing this guy, man, the way we started, the way we are, the way he started and the way that he is right now, just closing games,” Antetokounmpo said. “That’s what we need from Khris. We need him to be aggressive. We need him to be taking over games, make good decisions, and play off him.”
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2021 NBA Offseason Preview: Chicago Bulls

June 28th, 2021 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls overhauled both their front office and their coaching staff in 2020, replacing longtime basketball operations executives John Paxson and Gar Forman with Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley, who in turn replaced head coach Jim Boylen with Billy Donovan.

Despite the leadership changes, the Bulls didn’t turn over many spots on a roster that went 22-43 in 2019/20, so expectations for Chicago were modest entering ’20/21 — oddsmakers projected them to win no more than 30 games.

But the team aimed higher. Firmly in the play-in mix more than halfway through the season, the Bulls’ new top decision-makers decided to take a big swing, sending a pair of future first-round picks and former lottery selection Wendell Carter to Orlando in a trade for Nikola Vucevic.

The short-term results weren’t great. The Bulls, 19-24 at the time of the trade, failed to make any headway with Vucevic on the roster, finishing the season on a 12-17 run and missing out on a play-in spot. To make matters worse, the top-four protected 2021 pick the Bulls traded to the Magic in the blockbuster deadline deal landed at No. 8.

Still, the Bulls’ front office remains confident that the Vucevic acquisition will pay dividends going forward, once the All-Star center has a full offseason and training camp to get comfortable with his new team. Chicago will enter the 2021/22 season seeking its first playoff berth since 2017.

The Bulls’ Offseason Plan:

With no first-round pick at their disposal, the Bulls will turn to free agency or the trade market to try address their point guard position, which has been an Achilles heel for the franchise since Derrick Rose‘s All-Star days.

The good news is that there’s no shortage of options available in free agency this summer — when we ranked our top 20 free agents at the start of June, seven players on our list were point guards. Some of those veterans, such as Chris Paul and Mike Conley, may end up simply returning to their current teams, but the Bulls have the cap flexibility to pursue the ones who will test the market, including perhaps Lonzo Ball, Dennis Schröder, and Spencer Dinwiddie.

The Bulls also face decisions on Lauri Markkanen, a restricted free agent, and Thaddeus Young and Tomas Satoransky, whose salaries for 2021/22 are only partially guaranteed.

Young is a fine value at $14MM and Chicago should guarantee his contract, which would be movable even if he’s not in the team’s plans going forward. Markkanen and Satoransky seem less likely to return, though a sign-and-trade involving Markkanen is a possibility.

Finally, while Chicago doesn’t necessarily have to address the situation this offseason, LaVine’s contract is another storyline worth watching closely. He’s entering the final year of his deal and will be extension-eligible this offseason, but his maximum-salary extension (approximately $105MM over four years) is worth less than what he could expect as a free agent.

Assuming the Bulls have no plans to trade LaVine and he has no plans to accept that extension, there are two ways the situation could play out — the team could wait until he reaches free agency in 2022 to work out a new contract, or could renegotiate his 2021/22 salary in order to sign him to an extension worth more than his current four-year, $105MM max. A renegotiation, however, would require cap space that might be better spent on upgrades to the roster around LaVine.

Salary Cap Situation

Note: Our salary cap projections are based on a presumed 3% increase, which would result in a $112.4MM cap for 2021/22.

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

  • None

Team Options

Non-Guaranteed Salary

  • Thaddeus Young ($8,190,000) 2
  • Tomas Satoransky ($6,000,000) 3
  • Total: $14,190,000

Restricted Free Agents

Two-Way Free Agents

Draft Picks

  • No. 38 overall pick (no cap hold)

Extension-Eligible Players

  • Troy Brown (rookie scale)
  • Al-Farouq Aminu (veteran)
  • Zach LaVine (veteran)
  • Tomas Satoransky (veteran)
  • Nikola Vucevic (veteran)
  • Thaddeus Young (veteran)

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Offseason Cap Outlook

The Bulls could conceivably operate over or under the cap this offseason. For instance, if they want to guarantee Young’s salary, and perhaps re-sign free agents like Markkanen and Theis, an over-the-cap approach makes sense.

However, I expect the Bulls to seriously consider dipping below the cap instead. Even if they cut into their projected space by guaranteeing Young’s salary, they could create a little extra room under the cap by waiving and stretching Satoransky’s partial guarantee, or even by doing the same with Aminu. Clearing that cap room could be the most viable path to landing a point guard.

Cap Exceptions Available

  • Room exception: $4,910,000 5

Footnotes

  1. Aminu exercised his player option for 2021/22.
  2. Young’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after August 2.
  3. Satoransky’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after August 2.
  4. Because he has been on a two-way contract with the Bulls for two seasons, Mokoka is eligible for a standard minimum-salary qualifying offer.
  5. This is a projected value. If the Bulls operate over the cap, they’d have the mid-level exception ($9.5MM), bi-annual exception ($3.7MM), and a trade exception ($2.5MM) available.

Salary and cap information from Basketball Insiders, RealGM, and ESPN was used in the creation of this post.

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Mavs Hire Jason Kidd As Coach, Nico Harrison As GM

June 28th, 2021 at 3:38pm CST by Luke Adams

JUNE 28, 3:38pm: The Mavericks have issued a pair of press releases officially announcing Kidd as the team’s new head coach and Harrison as the new general manager.

JUNE 25, 12:29pm: The Mavericks have agreed to terms on contracts with Kidd and Harrison, reports MacMahon (Twitter link). Kidd will be Dallas’ new head coach, while Harrison will be the general manager and run the team’s basketball operations department.

Kidd will sign a four-year deal, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

JUNE 25, 5:53am: The Mavericks are in the process of finalizing a deal with Lakers assistant Jason Kidd that will make him the new head coach in Dallas, according to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim MacMahon.

Sources tell ESPN that Kidd has begun the “early stages” of assembling a coaching staff in preparation for taking the Mavs’ job.

Reports on Thursday indicated that Kidd had emerged as the frontrunner for the Mavs’ coaching vacancy and had begun contract negotiations with the team as it also prepared to fill an opening in its front office.

Longtime Nike executive Nico Harrison, who has strong connections with players throughout the NBA – including Luka Doncic – as a result of his two decades at Nike, is expected to be a hired to a top basketball operations position and the hope is that current VP of basketball operations Michael Finley will remain with the team and work alongside him, per Wojnarowski and MacMahon. The plan is for the duo to take over responsibilities previously held by Donnie Nelson, who left the Mavs earlier this month.

Even before officially joining the franchise, Harrison – who is also close to Kidd – has had in-depth conversations with team owner Mark Cuban about head coaching candidates, according to ESPN. While assistant coach Jamahl Mosley and others were considered, those discussions led to Cuban and Harrison identifying Kidd as their top target. Finley and special advisor Dirk Nowitzki have also lobbied for their former teammate.

Kidd has two stints as a head coach under his belt, having led the Nets for a single season in 2013/14, then the Bucks from 2014-18. He had a combined regular season record of 183-190 (.491) during his four-and-a-half years as a head coach in Brooklyn and Milwaukee, with a playoff mark of 9-15 (.375), including a lone series win in 2014.

As a player, Kidd was a member of the Mavericks from 1994-96 and again from 2008-12, helping lead the organization to a championship in 2011. Rick Carlisle, who coached Kidd during the point guard’s second stint in Dallas, gave him an unsolicited endorsement for the job on Thursday, telling MacMahon that he believed it would be a great situation for both Kidd and Doncic.

Kidd’s exit from the Mavs in free agency in 2012 was a little messy – he changed his mind and went to New York after originally planning to re-sign in Dallas – his relationship with Cuban and the team has since been smoothed over, Woj and MacMahon say.

Assuming there are no last-minute snags in negotiations between Kidd and the Mavericks, Dallas will become the third team to hire a new head coach this offseason, joining the Pacers (Carlisle) and the Celtics (Ime Udoka). Searches are ongoing for the Magic, Pelicans, Trail Blazers, and Wizards. Those teams will have to remove Kidd from their list of candidates if he was under consideration — we know he at least interviewed with Orlando.

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Timberwolves Reportedly Have Trade Interest In Ben Simmons

June 28th, 2021 at 2:31pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers, who are weighing what changes to make to their roster this offseason, continue to insist they’re committed Ben Simmons for the long term. However, if the 76ers seriously explore a potential Simmons trade this offseason, the Timberwolves are among the teams expected to show interest, Darren Wolfson of SKOR North said on The Scoop (audio link).

“I texted with somebody that knows Ben Simmons incredibly well (and) has working knowledge of all things NBA,” Wolfson said. “My text the other day said, ‘How badly do the Wolves want to trade for Ben Simmons?’ This individual sent me a text back, it was one word: ‘Badly.’

“Make no mistake, the Wolves have trade interest in Ben Simmons,” Wolfson continued. “… (President of basketball operations) Gersson Rosas is going to show – or already has, going back many months – interest in Ben Simmons.”

As Kurt Helin of NBC Sports writes, the Wolves probably aren’t parting with Karl-Anthony Towns or Anthony Edwards in any deal this offseason. That would leave D’Angelo Russell as the likely centerpiece in any offer for Simmons. Alternatively, Minnesota could package Malik Beasley and Ricky Rubio in order to put together enough salary to match Simmons’ $33MM+ cap hit.

However, even if the Wolves were to add draft picks to their offers, it’s unclear how appealing those offers would be to Daryl Morey and the Sixers. Should the 76ers move their three-time All-Star, they’d want to make a deal that would improve the team’s chances of competing for a title in 2022, rather than one heavy on draft picks. Morey would likely aim higher than a package headed by Russell or Beasley/Rubio.

Still, it’s an interesting idea, particularly given the Wolves’ quest to add a power forward this summer. While Simmons has been considered a point guard for the majority of his NBA career, the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up is more than capable of guarding threes and fours, which would make him an intriguing fit in Minnesota.

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Trae Young Questionable For Game 4 Due To Bone Bruise

June 28th, 2021 at 1:48pm CST by Luke Adams

1:48pm: After undergoing an MRI, Young has been diagnosed with a bone bruise to his right foot, the Hawks announced today in a press release. He’ll be listed as questionable for Game 4 on Tuesday, per the team.

8:19am: Hawks star Trae Young said after Sunday’s game that he will undergo an MRI on his injured right ankle on Monday, as Tim Bontemps of ESPN writes.

Young accidentally stepped on referee Sean Wright’s foot late in the third quarter, turning his ankle in the process. The third-year guard left the game and was diagnosed with an ankle sprain. Although he was able to return to action in the fourth quarter, Young admitted to reporters after the game that the injury was bothering him.

“It’s sore right now,” he said, per Bontemps. “… It’s hurting a little bit and it’s sore. I got some treatment on it. I’m going to go get some more in the morning. That’s all I can do right now, is to get treatment.”

Young wasn’t walking with a noticeable limp after the game and said he’ll “hopefully” be good to go for Game 4 on Tuesday, according to Bontemps.

Still, even if Young is unable to play, it’s possible the injury will slow him down a little, affecting his usual explosiveness. Already in this postseason, we’ve seen a variety of leg injuries limit the effectiveness of guards like James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, and Mike Conley. It would be unfortunate if Young is noticeably bothered by the injury going forward, since the upstart Hawks have been giving the Bucks all they can handle in the Eastern Conference Finals.

After splitting the first two games in Milwaukee, Atlanta had a fourth-quarter lead on Sunday, but wasn’t able to hold onto that lead down the stretch. The Bucks now lead the series by a 2-1 margin.

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Hollinger’s Latest: Draft, Wiseman, Siakam, Trent, Combine

June 28th, 2021 at 12:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Sources who have spoken to John Hollinger of The Athletic are skeptical that the Pistons, Rockets, or Cavaliers will trade out of the top three spots in the draft.

As Hollinger notes, there are a lot of teams that figure to have interest in moving up in the draft, including several holding multiple first-round picks, such as the Magic, Thunder, and Knicks. However, it’s more difficult to find teams that will give serious consideration to moving down. Any trade up may require a substantial overpay, Hollinger adds.

Here are a few more tidbits from Hollinger following his time at the pre-draft combine in Chicago:

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