Month: November 2024

Eastern Notes: Bakker, Wizards, Markkanen, Bulls

August 25th, 2021 at 5:34pm CST by Dana Gauruder

DJ Bakker has been named the head coach of the Pistons’ new G League franchise, the Motor City Cruise, according to a team press release. Bakker has spent the last three seasons as an assistant and player development coach under Dwane Casey and served as the Pistons’ summer league coach in 2019. Bakker has also worked for the Raptors, Bulls, Mavericks and Magic. Detroit’s previous G League franchise in Grand Rapids, MI will now be the Nuggets’ affiliate.

We have more on the Eastern Conference:

On paper, the Wizards have improved their 3-point shooting this offseason, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington notes. Rookie Corey Kispert, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kyle Kuzma should all upgrade Washington’s perimeter prowess, along with the return of Thomas Bryant from his knee injury. However, Washington still has a number of subpar 3-shooters in its projected rotation.
The Bulls are driving a hard bargain for suitors of restricted free agent Lauri Markkanen, demanding a first-rounder and no burdensome contracts in return for proposed sign-and-trades. However, Chicago might be better off dropping its asking price and moving on, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago opines. The Bulls created a lot of positive momentum with their offseason moves, so it may not be prudent to bring back a player who has made it clear he’d prefer a fresh start.
In the same piece, Johnson suggests the Bulls might carry 14 players on the roster — one below the limit — because they have a $5MM trade exception from the Daniel Theis sign-and-trade with the Rockets that they could use during the course of the season. Alternatively, the 15th player could be on a non- or partially-guaranteed contract.

Justin Patton Agrees To Sign With Hapoel Eilat

August 25th, 2021 at 3:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Another NBA big man is headed to Israel, as Justin Patton has agreed to sign with Hapoel Eilat, according to a report from Yakov Meir of Israel Hayom (via Twitter). A source confirmed the news to our JD Shaw (Twitter link).

Word of Patton’s agreement comes on the heels of former No. 10 overall pick Thon Maker signing a deal with Israeli club Hapoel Jerusalem.

Patton, 24, was selected with the 16th overall pick in the 2017 draft and began his career with the Timberwolves, having been included in the deal that sent Jimmy Butler to Minnesota. However, a series of foot injuries limited the center’s availability in his first few years in the NBA as he bounced around from Minnesota to Philadelphia to Oklahoma City to Houston.

In four total seasons, Patton has appeared in just 22 NBA games. Thirteen of those appearances came in 2020/21, as he spent several weeks on a two-way contract with the Rockets, averaging 5.4 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and 1.1 BPG in 19.0 minutes per contest. He was released in April, then suited up for the Jazz and Knicks in Summer Leagues in Utah and Las Vegas earlier this month.

Hawks Hire Nick Van Exel As Assistant Coach

August 25th, 2021 at 3:05pm CST by JD Shaw

AUGUST 25: The Hawks have officially hired Van Exel, the team announced today in a press release.

“Since his playing career ended, Nick has been very successful in helping develop young guards for the teams he’s worked with, including several that have turned into All-Stars,” head coach Nate McMillan said in a statement. “We feel he’ll be a great addition helping our young core guards continue to progress.”

AUGUST 22: The Hawks are hiring former NBA guard Nick Van Exel as an assistant coach, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. As Wojnarowski notes (via Twitter), Van Exel will replace Marlon Garnett, who recently left to become an assistant with the Hornets.

Van Exel served as a player development instructor with the Hawks from 2010-12 and most recently worked for the Mavericks as a scout. He confirmed the news of him joining Atlanta with Mike Fisher of DallasBasketball.com (Twitter link).

Van Exel played 13 NBA seasons (including an All-Star campaign in 1997/98), making stops with the Lakers, Nuggets, Mavericks, Warriors, Blazers and Spurs. In addition to his past NBA jobs with Atlanta and Dallas, he also served as an assistant with the Bucks in 2013/14 and assistant with the Grizzlies from 2016-19.

Atlanta finished with the fifth-best record in the East at 41-31 last season, reaching the Conference Finals for the first time since 2014/15. The team is set to enter next season with its core rotation from last year under contract.

Spurs Sign Bryn Forbes

August 25th, 2021 at 2:29pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

AUGUST 25: Three weeks after agreeing to a deal with the Spurs, Forbes has formally signed his new contract, he told Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link).

“It was a great year (in Milwaukee),” Forbes told McDonald. “But I’m happy to be home.”

The terms of Forbes’ contract still aren’t known, but they should surface soon now that the deal is done. The Spurs have used up their cap space, so they may use the room exception to pay Forbes more than the minimum.

AUGUST 4: Free agent shooting guard Bryn Forbes is expected to return for a second stint in San Antonio. Per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), the Spurs have agreed to ink old friend Forbes, hot off a championship run with the Bucks, to a new contract. The terms of the agreement have yet to be disclosed.

After going undrafted out of Michigan State in 2016, Forbes impressed San Antonio during a Summer League run with the club.

He then signed on with the Spurs for the start of the 2016/17 season and had been with the team for his entire NBA career, until departing for Milwaukee on a two-year, $4.79MM deal in free agency during the 2020 offseason.

Earlier this summer, Forbes declined the player option on the second year of his Milwaukee deal after proving himself as a solid offensive contributor during the Bucks’ 2021 postseason run.

Forbes, 28, appeared in 70 games with the Bucks during the abbreviated 72-game 2020/21 NBA season. In 19.3 MPG, the 6’2″ wing averaged 10.0 PPG and 1.6 RPG, with a stellar shooting line of .473/.452/.770.

The Spurs have been active in free agency thus far. The team has also added Doug McDermott, Zach Collins and NBL big man Jock Londale in free agency. San Antonio also moved 2020/21 leading scorer DeMar DeRozan in a sign-and-trade deal that will net them future draft equity, plus veteran forwards Thaddeus Young and Al-Farouq Aminu.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Grizzlies Waive Sean McDermott To Complete Trade With Wolves

August 25th, 2021 at 1:44pm CST by Luke Adams

In order to create room on their 20-man roster to accommodate a one-for-two trade with the Timberwolves, the Grizzlies have waived wing Sean McDermott, the team announced today in a press release.

McDermott, who went undrafted out of Butler in 2020, quickly caught on with the Grizzlies, signing a two-way deal with the team last November. He appeared in 18 NBA games during his rookie season, averaging 2.2 PPG and 1.1 RPG in limited action (8.8 MPG).

Because McDermott’s two-way contract covered two seasons, he had remained under team control to start the 2021/22 league year, but it looks like he’s no longer in the team’s plans for the time being.

Memphis now has an open two-way contract slot, with Killian Tillie occupying the other one. Yves Pons, who is on an Exhibit 10 contract, looks like a candidate to claim the second two-way deal before the regular season, notes Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian (Twitter link).

Besides Tillie and Pons, the Grizzlies’ other 18 players are on guaranteed contracts. That includes Juan Hernangomez and Jarrett Culver, who were acquired from Minnesota in exchange for Patrick Beverley in the trade that was completed today, and Rajon Rondo, whom Herrington doesn’t expect to still be on the team when the season begins (Twitter link).

Grizzlies Trade Beverley To Wolves For Culver, Hernangomez

August 25th, 2021 at 1:42pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 25: Over a week after agreeing to terms, the Grizzlies and Timberwolves have completed their trade, according to press releases sent out by both teams. Memphis waived Sean McDermott in order to make room on the 20-man roster for the extra incoming player.

AUGUST 17: A day after acquiring him from the Clippers, the Grizzlies have lined up a deal to flip veteran guard Patrick Beverley to the Timberwolves, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

According to Wojnarowski, Memphis will receive wing Jarrett Culver and forward Juan Hernangomez from Minnesota in the trade.

As Wojnarowski observes (via Twitter), Timberwolves president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas worked in the Rockets’ front office when Beverley was in Houston and appreciates the toughness and leadership he can bring to a young team. Minnesota lost some point guard depth when the team shipped Ricky Rubio to Cleveland, so Beverley will help fortify that position.

Beverley, 33, averaged 7.5 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 2.1 APG on .423/.397/.800 shooting in 37 games (22.5 MPG) for the Clippers in 2020/21 and is considered a strong perimeter defender.

Moving Hernangomez will reduce the Wolves’ options at an already-thin power forward spot, but it may have been a necessary move. There was reportedly tension between the player and the team after Minnesota’s medical staff prevented the 25-year-old from representing Spain at the Tokyo Olympics last month due to a shoulder injury.

Culver, meanwhile, was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 draft. One of Rosas’ first moves after being hired by the Wolves was to trade Dario Saric and the No. 11 pick (Cameron Johnson) in order to move up for Culver, but he struggled during his first two years in the NBA, putting up a modest 7.8 PPG and 3.3 RPG on .406/.288/.503 shooting in 97 total games (20.7 MPG).

After taking on some extra 2021/22 money in their trade with the Clippers, the Grizzlies will reduce this year’s team salary a little in this deal — the combined salaries for Culver ($6.4MM) and Hernangomez ($6.9MM) come in slightly lower than Beverley’s cap hit ($14.32MM). Neither player is owed any guaranteed money in 2022/23 yet either, though Culver has an $8.11MM team option and Hernangomez has a $7.42MM non-guaranteed salary.

It’s unclear how Culver and Hernangomez fit into Memphis’ plans. The deal certainly doesn’t help the Grizzlies’ roster crunch — they already had 17 players on guaranteed contracts before swapping out Beverley for two new players, and will actually have to waive someone from their 20-man roster in order to complete the one-for-two trade.

There are likely more moves to come for the Grizzlies, so we’ll have to wait to see what they have in mind for Culver and Hernangomez, but it’s worth noting that Culver is still just 22 years old — the club may seem some untapped potential there. Memphis will have to make a decision on his $8.1MM option for 2022/23 this fall.

2021 NBA Head Coaching Carousel Recap

August 25th, 2021 at 1:27pm CST by Luke Adams

Over the last few weeks, NBA teams have been overhauling their rosters, signing free agents, making trades, and locking up their draft picks to contracts. Prior to the draft and free agency though, several teams completed another major offseason change that shouldn’t be overlooked — over a quarter of the NBA’s clubs named a new permanent head coach.

One of the eight teams that named a new permanent coach this offseason simply retained a familiar face. Nate McMillan took over as the Hawks‘ interim coach halfway through the 2020/21 season, and the job he did the rest of the way, leading Atlanta to the Eastern Conference Finals, ensured the team wasn’t going to seek out a replacement.

The other seven teams, however, will have a new face on the sidelines to start the 2021/22. Here’s a recap of this offseason’s head coaching changes and a brief look at how they played out:

Boston Celtics

Hired: Ime Udoka (story)
Replaced: Brad Stevens (story)
Contract details: Multiyear deal (specifics unknown)
Other candidates who reportedly received consideration or interest: Jerome Allen, Chauncey Billups, Mike D’Antoni, Darvin Ham, Jay Larranaga, Charles Lee, Joe Mazzulla, Scott Morrison, Jamahl Mosley

The Celtics didn’t follow the usual script when making their head coaching change. Rather than being fired by the team, Stevens actually received a promotion to president of basketball operations, putting him in the unusual position of hiring his replacement.

Boston considered a mix of internal and external candidates before landing on Udoka, a former NBA player who was an assistant on Gregg Popovich‘s staff in San Antonio for seven years before also spending time with Philadelphia and Brooklyn. Udoka’s experience on Team USA’s staff at the 2019 World Cup worked in his favor, since he got to know Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart during that event.

Dallas Mavericks

Hired: Jason Kidd (story)
Replaced: Rick Carlisle (story)
Contract details: Four-year deal
Other candidates who reportedly received consideration or interest: Jamahl Mosley, Terry Stotts

The Mavericks took another step forward in 2020/21, improving their regular season winning percentage for a third straight season. Although Dallas’ season ended with another first-round loss to the Clippers, those positive strides made it a little surprising that the team ended up making major changes to both its coaching staff and front office. Carlisle stepped down and the team parted ways with longtime president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson.

The searches for a new general manager and head coach occurred simultaneously, with owner Mark Cuban leading the process. He chose Nico Harrison to head up the team’s basketball operations department, and they quickly zeroed in on Kidd – a former All-Star and NBA champion with the Mavericks – as the choice for head coach.

The Mavs are hoping that Kidd learned from some of the mistakes he made during previous head coaching stints with the Nets and Bucks and will form a strong connection with franchise player Luka Doncic, who wasn’t always on the same page as Carlisle.

Indiana Pacers

Hired: Rick Carlisle (story)
Replaced: Nate Bjorkgren (story)
Contract details: Four-year, $29MM deal
Other candidates who reportedly received consideration or interest: Steve Clifford, Brian Shaw, Terry Stotts

The Pacers’ head coaching change in 2020 looks like one of the worst moves of that offseason in hindsight. The team dismissed Nate McMillan due to his lack of success in the playoffs, but his replacement – Bjorkgren – was unable to even get the team to the postseason during his lone season at the helm.

After Bjorkgren’s brief and disastrous tenure, the Pacers will seek stability by bringing back Carlisle, who coached the team from 2003-07 and has recorded the 15th-most wins of any coach in NBA history. He’ll assume control of a veteran squad that looks capable of bouncing back and potentially securing a top-six spot in the East with better health luck in 2021/22.

New Orleans Pelicans

Hired: Willie Green (story)
Replaced: Stan Van Gundy (story)
Contract details: Multiyear deal (specifics unknown)
Other candidates who reportedly received consideration or interest: Charles Lee, Jacque Vaughn, Fred Vinson, Teresa Weatherspoon

Like Bjorkgren in Indiana, Van Gundy proved to be a poor fit for his new team and lasted just one year before receiving his walking papers. When the Pelicans launched a search for their new head coach, they prioritized finding a candidate capable of connecting with the young players on the roster — especially Zion Williamson, who will be playing for his third coach in three years.

New Orleans initially appeared focused on Vaughn, but the Nets assistant withdrew from consideration in order to remain in Brooklyn. At that point, the Pelicans’ search narrowed to Green and Lee, with the Suns associate head coach ultimately winning out.

Green only has five years of experience as an assistant under his belt, but appeared in the NBA Finals in four of those five seasons with Golden State and Phoenix. And the fact that he’s only six years removed from being in the NBA as a player should help earn him some respect from a young Pelicans team.

Orlando Magic

Hired: Jamahl Mosley (story)
Replaced: Steve Clifford (story)
Contract details: Four-year deal
Other candidates who reportedly received consideration or interest: Chauncey Billups, Jarron Collins, Mike D’Antoni, Willie Green, Becky Hammon, Penny Hardaway, Jason Kidd, Charles Lee, Terry Stotts, Ime Udoka, Wes Unseld Jr.

It didn’t seem as if the Magic were particularly eager to move on from Clifford, but the veteran coach wasn’t enthusiastic about embarking on another rebuild, so the two sides mutually agreed to parted ways a few weeks after Orlando’s season ended.

While some of the candidates reported to be on the Magic’s radar had previous head coaching experience, most were assistants who had a strong record of player development and wouldn’t mind growing along with a young, lottery-bound team. Orlando eventually chose Mosley, who was an assistant for the Nuggets and Cavaliers before spending the last seven seasons under Rick Carlisle in Dallas.

Portland Trail Blazers

Hired: Chauncey Billups (story)
Replaced: Terry Stotts (story)
Contract details: Five-year deal
Other candidates who reportedly received consideration or interest: Jerome Allen, Brent Barry, Mike D’Antoni, Becky Hammon, Jason Kidd, Dawn Staley

Unable to get the Trail Blazers over the hump despite a long track record of regular season success, Stotts was let go by the Blazers this spring.

After reports stated that Damian Lillard would have a voice in Portland’s hiring process, the All-Star guard expressed public support for Kidd and Billups. When Kidd withdrew his name from consideration, reportedly uncomfortable with the idea of pursuing the job following Lillard’s public endorsement, Billups emerged as the frontrunner and beat out finalists D’Antoni and Hammon for the job.

Billups, who had a decorated career as a player, has long been viewed by people around the league as a good bet to be a successful NBA coach. He’ll get his chance in Portland, though the team could’ve handled the hiring better from a PR perspective.

The Blazers, who faced some backlash due to a 1997 sexual assault case involving the former All-Star guard, told reporters they thoroughly investigated that incident and came away confident that Billups hadn’t engaged in any wrongdoing. Subsequent reporting suggested that Portland’s investigation may not have been as exhaustive as the team claimed. However, any blow-back to the poorly-handled process seems more likely to affect president of basketball operations Neil Olshey than Billups.

Washington Wizards

Hired: Wes Unseld Jr. (story)
Replaced: Scott Brooks (story)
Contract details: Four-year deal
Other candidates who reportedly received consideration or interest: Sam Cassell, Chris Fleming, Willie Green, Darvin Ham, Charles Lee, Jamahl Mosley, Scott Morrison, Ronald Nored, Chris Quinn, Kevin Young

Halfway through the 2020/21 season, Brooks looked like the surest bet among the NBA’s 30 head coaches to be let go at season’s end. A second-half surge and a play-in tournament victory earned the Wizards a playoff berth and made the decision a little more difficult, but the team ultimately decided not to bring back Brooks, whose contract expired this year.

The Wizards, whose search focused exclusively on assistants without prior head coaching experience, narrowed their list down to four finalists — Unseld, Ham, Lee, and Mosley. After Mosley opted to take the Orlando job, Washington chose Unseld over the two Bucks assistants.

It was a logical choice for the Wizards, who gave Unseld his start as an assistant in 2005 and who employed his father (Wes Unseld Sr.) for years as a player, coach, and front office executive. However, Unseld Jr. earned the job on merit, not sentiment — he spent 16 years as an assistant in Washington, Golden State, Orlando, and Denver, and the Nuggets lobbied hard for him to get a head coaching opportunity they felt he deserved.

Details On Robert Williams’ Extension With Celtics

August 25th, 2021 at 11:43am CST by Luke Adams

Robert Williams‘ new four-year contract extension with the Celtics, initially reported to be worth $54MM, actually has a base value of $48MM over four years, reports ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Instagram video).

As Marks outlines, Williams will earn a salary around $10.7MM in 2022/23, the first year of his new deal. He’ll get annual 8% annual raises, all the way up to $13.285MM in ’25/26, for a total of $48MM in guaranteed money. There is no player or team option in the final year of the contract.

The agreement also includes about $5-6MM in total incentives, which could push the total value up to near $54MM, Marks explains. For instance, in the first year of his contract, Williams can make an extra $446K if he appears in at least 69 games. That bonus would be considered “likely” and would be added to Williams’ $10.7MM cap hit in ’22/23 if he plays in 69+ games in the final year of his rookie contract in ’21/22.

According to Marks, Williams also has incentives related to whether the Celtics make the Eastern Conference Semifinals and Eastern Finals, but he must play in 69+ games to qualify for those incentives. The 23-year-old can also earn bonuses if he makes the All-Defensive First Team or Second Team, Marks adds.

Williams has battled a handful of injuries in his first three NBA seasons, so it makes sense that the Celtics would include language that protects them to some extent if he continues to miss time. However, even if Williams fails to meet that 69-game threshold and never earns an All-Defensive spot, the C’s would be on the hook for $12MM per year over the course of the deal.

Rockets Sign Daishen Nix, Tyler Bey To Exhibit 10 Deals

August 25th, 2021 at 10:18am CST by Eli Cohen

AUGUST 25: The Rockets have officially signed both Nix and Bey, the team announced today in a press release.

AUGUST 24: The Rockets have agreed to Exhibit 10 training camp deals with undrafted rookie Daishen Nix and 2020 second-round pick Tyler Bey, reports Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle.

Nix was a highly-ranked point guard prospect before joining the G League Ignite last season, where he showcased impressive passing instincts and size, but struggled with his shot. He averaged 8.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG and 5.3 APG in 26.5 MPG with the Ignite, but shot just .384/.176/.714.

Nix played Summer League with the Sixers, averaging 5.2 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 1.8 APG and 1.6 SPG in just 11.5 MPG, but only connected on one-of-five three-point attempts in over 57 total minutes.

Bey was selected with the 36th pick in the 2020 draft by the Sixers and was included in the deal that sent Josh Richardson to the Mavericks for Seth Curry. Bey only played 18 games with the Mavs, and averaged just 3.9 minutes a game in those 18 contests, though he recorded 15.1 PPG and 9.2 RPG in the G League.

The Rockets have no shortage of guards on their roster, but few true point guards, especially if the team is able to move one or both of John Wall or D.J. Augustin, so there’s a chance Nix could find a home if he proves himself in training camp. However, both players face steep competition on a roster full of young, hungry prospects. Unless one earns a two-way contract, they’re more likely to end up playing for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston’s G League affiliate.

Thon Maker Signs With Hapoel Jerusalem

August 25th, 2021 at 10:15am CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA lottery pick Thon Maker has signed with Hapoel Jerusalem for the 2021/22 season, the Israeli team announced in a press release.

Maker, who was selected with the No. 10 pick in the 2016 draft, spent his first two-and-a-half NBA seasons with the Bucks before being traded to the Pistons. The seven-footer finished his rookie contract in Detroit, then joined the Cavaliers to start the 2020/21 season before being waived in January. The Heat and Knicks reportedly considered signing the 24-year-old later in the season, but opted against it.

In 263 total regular season games in the NBA, Maker averaged a modest 4.6 PPG, 2.8 RPG, and 0.7 BPG on .435/.327/.680 shooting in 13.8 minutes per contest.

Besides playing in the Israeli Basketball Premier League, Hapoel Jerusalem also competes in the Israeli State Cup and the Basketball Champions League.

Load More Posts