2023 April | Hoops Rumors

Trae Young Eager To Continue Working With Quin Snyder

April 28th, 2023 at 11:47am CST by Dana Gauruder

Trae Young has faith in head coach Quin Snyder and that makes it very unlikely the Hawks would be willing to deal their star guard, as Jeff Schultz of The Athletic details.

Young praised Snyder after Atlanta was eliminated from the postseason by the Celtics on Thursday night.

“I mean, Quin is the future,” Young said. “I believe with him here this city is going to win a championship.”

Snyder took the Hawks job in late February after the organization parting ways with Nate McMillan. Young’s clashes with his previous head coach were part of the reason for the in-season change.

Atlanta finished the regular season with a .500 record under the former Jazz coach. The Hawks defeated Miami in the play-in tournament, then took the Celtics to six games, including a Game 5 win in Boston. Young hit the decisive 3-pointer in that contest.

Young, who has four years remaining on his max extension, averaged 29.2 points and 10.2 assists in the series.

“We could’ve not even have made the playoffs,” Young said. “It could’ve been worse. We have to focus on the future now. We can’t worry about the past and all that went on throughout the season, all the nonsense and stuff. In moments we showed what we can do with Quin as our coach.”

Snyder plans to spent time during the offseason with Young in preparation for his first full season as the franchise’s head coach.

“He and I have talked about this summer and connecting and getting better,” Snyder said. “Trae’s gifted and he can get better, he wants to get better and I’m going to try to help him get better.”

Pacific Notes: Westbrook, Plumlee, Gordon, James, Kings, Ayton

April 28th, 2023 at 10:15am CST by Dana Gauruder

Russell Westbrook is welcome to return to the Clippers, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said on Thursday. Westbrook is headed to unrestricted free agency and the Clippers were not only impressed with the veteran guard on the court but off it as well.

“He brings a great energy and spirit to the team, around the building,” the Clippers exec told Law Murray of The Athletic and other media members.

The Clippers are also interested in retaining Mason Plumlee and Eric Gordon, according to ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk, though it seems unlikely the Clippers will guarantee the $20.9MM remaining on Gordon’s contract.

We have more from the Pacific Division:

LeBron James vows he’ll play better on his home court when the Lakers try to close out the Grizzlies again in Game 6 on Friday night, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “Just got to be better,” James said. “It starts with me. (Wednesday) I was not very good at all. My defense was pretty good. Offensively, I was not really good. So, we all got to do a better job helping one another.”
It’s time for the Kings to show the same resiliency the Warriors displayed over the last three games, Jason Jones of The Athletic writes. Golden State has erased a 2-0 deficit to take a 3-2 series lead, heading into Friday’s showdown. Guard Davion Mitchell acknowledges Sacramento has to play with more determination. “We have to have the same mindset coming in. I mean, that’s a really good team, especially at home,” he said. “We have to punch them in the mouth first.”
The Suns matched Indiana’s offer sheet to retain Deandre Ayton. Now, their center will play a pivotal role in their second-round series when they face the Nuggets and two-time MVP Nikola Jokic. Ayton is eager for the challenge, according to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “It’s going to be fun,” he said. “They’re the best. Suns basketball, we want to compete and beat the best. That’s what we’re looking forward to. We know it’s not going to be easy, but it’s going to be a great series where mano play against mano.”

Hoops Rumors Seeking Part-Time Writer

April 28th, 2023 at 9:05am CST by Luke Adams

We’re looking to add a part-time contributor to the Hoops Rumors writing team. The position pays on an hourly basis. Applicants must meet the following criteria:

Exceptional knowledge of all 30 NBA teams, with no discernible bias. We want you to be as comfortable writing about Nathan Knight and Vit Krejci as you would be writing about LeBron James and Stephen Curry.
Knowledge of the NBA’s salary cap, collective bargaining agreement, and transaction-related concepts.
Strong weeknight and weekend availability, with the ability to work at least two regular shifts per week. Flexibility to work on short notice and/or on weekdays is a plus.
Extensive writing experience. Professional experience and a background in journalism are both preferred.
Keen understanding of journalistic principles, ethics, and procedures. Completion of basic college-level journalism classes is preferred.
Attention to detail and an ability to self-edit.
Ability to follow Hoops Rumors’ style and tone.
Ability to analyze articles and craft intelligent, well-written posts summing up the news in a few paragraphs. We need someone who can balance quick writing with thoughtful analysis. You must be able to add value to breaking news with your own insight, numbers, or links to other relevant articles.
Ability to use Twitter and WordPress.

If you’re interested, please email hoopsrumorsparttimers@gmail.com by Sunday, April 30 at 12:00 pm Central time and include the following:

A few paragraphs to explain why you qualify and stand out.
A description of your availability going forward.
At least two writing samples. NBA-related pieces are preferred, but not mandatory.

Many will likely apply, so unfortunately we may not be able to respond to every applicant.

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Jae Crowder Surprised By Lack Of Usage

April 28th, 2023 at 8:30am CST by Dana Gauruder

Jae Crowder was baffled by his lack of playing time as the top-seeded Bucks lost 4-1 in the first-round series against the Heat, Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. However, he’s still interested in re-signing with the organization.

While Jimmy Butler carved up the Bucks’ defense, Crowder played only 18 seconds in Game 5. He didn’t play at all in Game 4 and averaged 13.6 minutes in the first three games.

“I’ve never been in a situation like that,” Crowder said. “Eleven years. Check my résumé. I’ve been playing. I’ve always been playing. I’m very confused as to why I was brought here. I don’t know my purpose here and why I was brought here.”

In his walk year, Crowder chose to sit out until the Suns traded him. His situation was one of the big storylines during the first half of the season until the Bucks acquired him at the trade deadline.

Crowder expected to play major minutes during the postseason due to his playoff experience, defensive prowess and perimeter shooting. Instead, his role vanished during the series.

“Yeah, I wasn’t expecting that, DNPs,” he said. “I haven’t had them in my career so why start now?”

Yet, Crowder won’t rule out re-signing with Milwaukee this summer. He enjoys being around his current teammates.

“I would (return), because in the locker room it’s a great group of guys who puts work first and we have fun after that,” he said. “I can work in that type of environment and I really do appreciate my teammates for welcoming me. From day one it’s just been love from that side. But that’s a conversation that has to be had.”

Cavs Notes: Mitchell, Next Season, LeVert, Garland, Wing Upgrades

April 27th, 2023 at 10:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Cavaliers traded for Donovan Mitchell to make them a true contender. Mitchell felt personally responsible for the team’s 4-1 series loss to the Knicks, according to Kelsey Russo of The Athletic.

“I don’t feel like I was the player I needed to be for this group,” Mitchell said. “That’s what’s gonna keep me up at night. I’ve done it all year. You know what I mean? So I just didn’t deliver like I expected myself to, my teammates and everybody expects me to. And like I said, I take that upon myself, man, like I gotta be better.”

Mitchell averaged 23.2 points — five below his season average — and shot 43.3 percent and 28.9 on 3-point attempts in the series.

We have more on the Cavs:

This year’s playoff flop puts immense pressure on the team to get deeper into the postseason next year, Jason Lloyd of The Athletic opines. Even though Mitchell is signed through the 2025/26 season, he can opt out in the summer of 2025. If the Cavs can’t get a long-term commitment from Mitchell after next season, they may need to trade him, Lloyd writes. They also don’t have many assets to upgrade the roster.
Caris LeVert is headed to free agency but he “absolutely” wants to re-sign, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets. LeVert averaged 18 points in the last four games of the series.
Darius Garland learned some lessons during the series, Fedor writes at Cleveland.com. Garland’s eyes were opened by the different tempo and intensity in the playoffs. “The pace is just so fast, it’s just coming to you really quick,” Garland said. “It’s a lot to process. Go back and watch this film, see what we did wrong. Trying to learn from it as much as I can. It hurts, but we know what it feels like. We know how playoff basketball is. We know the physicality of it. We know the mental aspect of it. It’s going to make us work hard and we’re going to remember this feeling.”
How can the Cavs upgrade at the wing? Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype explores that topic in his offseason primer. They could target Josh Richardson, Jalen McDaniels or Kelly Oubre with their mid-level exception. They could also try to trade for a forward with the MLE since the new CBA allows it to be used as a trade exception. Potential targets in that case could include Royce O’Neale, Reggie Bullock or Alec Burks.

Bucks Notes: Antetokounmpo, Collapse, Middleton, Roster

April 27th, 2023 at 9:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

How will Giannis Antetokounmpo approach the offseason? This September, the Bucks superstar could add two years and approximately $113MM to his current contract. He is signed through the 2025/26 season but can opt out in the summer of 2025.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst doubts Antetokounmpo will add on to his current deal this offseason, as RealGM relays.

“I think it is unlikely Giannis extends his contract this summer,” Windhorst said. “He does have two years left, but with everything that’s going on with the team and considering there’s new ownership that makes it very difficult. And the Bucks are heading into the repeater tax. This is what happens to teams who are contenders year after year and they spend. Everything on this team is about to get more expensive.”

We have more on the Bucks:

There were a multitude of reasons why the Eastern Conference’s top seed collapsed in the first round, as Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel details. Turnovers were a problem all season and the half-court offense had a tendency to stagnate. The Bucks also had trouble making free throws and, at times, allowed energetic opponents to get second-chance opportunities. Miami was the perfect opponent to exploit those weaknesses, Owczarski adds.
Khris Middleton‘s status will be a major offseason question. Middleton can opt out and became a free agent if he chooses to leave over $40MM on the table. Despite an injury-plagued season, Middleton could do that, since he’s seeking one more big long-term contract before he retires. He’ll have some suitors if chooses that path, according to Matt Moore of Action Network.
Don’t expect major changes to the roster, John Hollinger of The Athletic opines. Hollinger believes the Bucks will have to return with the same core group, due to their salary cap situation and lack of future first-round picks.

Nuggets Notes: Murray, Porter Jr., Title Run, Jokic

April 27th, 2023 at 8:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. are healthy this postseason and that makes the Nuggets much more dangerous, Pat Graham of The Associated Press writes. Murray, who missed last season due to a knee injury, finished off the Timberwolves in Game 5 with 35 points. Porter, who has been plagued by back issues in prior seasons, had a 25-point performance in Game 3.

“It was good to be back in the playoffs and just be playing at a high level along with Jamal,” Porter said. “It’s a good feeling.”

We have more on the Nuggets:

Murray was irritated by the chatter surrounding Minnesota’s Nickeil Alexander-Walker and the way he was blanketing Denver’s star guard, Mike Singer of the Denver Post writes. He made a statement with his Game 5 eruption. “He was our best player this series,” said Nikola Jokic, citing Murray’s energy, shot-making and leadership.
Can Denver go all the way with the current group? Tony Jones of The Athletic explores that question, suggesting that the Nuggets’ biggest concern is their defense – particularly against the Suns’ superstars in the second-round series – and the need for a steady No. 3 offensive option to emerge.
Jokic earned a bonus with the team reaching the second round, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. He’ll collect an extra $568,966 as a result of the Nuggets winning a series.

Raptors Taking Broad Approach To Head Coaching Search

April 27th, 2023 at 6:31pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Raptors have been granted permission to interviews a number of prominent assistant coaches for their head coaching job, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.

Toronto parted ways with Nick Nurse, who coached them to a championship, after the season. The Warriors‘ Kenny Atkinson, Bucks‘ Charles Lee, Suns‘ Kevin Young, Spurs‘ Mitch Johnson, Kings‘ Jordi Fernandez, Grizzlies‘ Darko Rajakovic and Heat‘s Chris Quinn are among the assistant they plan to interview. However, that list could expand.

Lee is one of the top candidates for the Pistons’ head coaching vacancy. Atkinson, of course, was previously the Nets’ head coach.

The Raptors will also look at ex-NBA head coaches, as well as NCAA and WNBA coaches. Regarding the latter, they have gained permission to speak with former Spurs assistant and current Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon. She led the Aces to last year’s WNBA championship.

As previously reported, they are also expected to interview current assistant coach Adrian Griffin.

Grizzlies Notes: Kennard, Bane, Jenkins, Game 5 Win

April 27th, 2023 at 5:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Luke Kennard‘s health could be a key element in the Grizzlies’ aim to win their series against the Lakers after trailing 3-1. Kennard injured his left shoulder in the second half of Game 5 but he provided an optimistic update after Memphis’ win. Game 6 is scheduled for Friday night, according to Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

“I just got a stinger out there,” Kennard said. “Getting it looked at (Thursday), trying to find out a little more, but it’s all good right now.”

With Dillon Brooks struggling with his shot and the Lakers sagging off him, Kennard has proved to be a better offensive option, Joe Vardon of The Athletic notes. He’s shooting 50 percent on 3-pointers and 52 percent overall in this series.

“Luke is one of the best shooters in the league,” Ja Morant said. “Obviously that opens up a lot of space on the floor and we just play off that.”

We have more on the Grizzlies:

Desmond Bane racked up 33 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in Game 5 and made a de facto guarantee that the Grizzlies will win Game 6 on the Lakers’ home floor, Tim MacMahon of ESPN relays. “We got to come with the right edge and the right road mentality, but I said it out there and I’ll say it again,” Bane said. “We’re going to be back for a Game 7 in front of the best fans in the NBA.”
While there’s no indication he’ll be replaced if the team flops in the first round, coach Taylor Jenkins is under pressure to show he can be successful in the postseason. Cole and Mark Giann0tto of the Commercial Appeal examine that topic.
In a subscriber-only story, Chris Herrinigton of the Daily Memphian examines how the Game 5 victory could propel Memphis the rest of the series, including the fact that Morant and Bane are hot offensively at the same time.

Mike Budenholzer’s Job With Bucks In Jeopardy?

April 27th, 2023 at 4:01pm CST by Rory Maher

Head coach Mike Budenholzer has led the Bucks to a 271-120 regular season record in his five seasons at the helm, which is the best mark in the NBA over that span.

Under Budenholzer, the Bucks won their first championship in 50 years in 2020/21. Milwaukee once again had the best record in the league this season at 58-24.

However, Budenholzer’s late-game decision-making in the team’s first-round loss to the Heat has been called into question. He didn’t use a timeout in the middle of a 13-0 run by the Heat at the end of Game 4.

He also didn’t use his final timeout to advance the ball with the game tied with 0.5 seconds left at the end of regulation in Game 5, or use one at the end of overtime with 11 seconds left down two points — both possessions culminated in the Bucks failing to get a shot off.

As Eric Nehm of The Athletic writes, Budenholzer also continued to use Jrue Holiday to defend Jimmy Butler in the final two games with Giannis Antetokounmpo back in the lineup, even though putting the two-time MVP on Butler is partly how the Bucks swept the Heat in the playoffs two years ago. Butler was great all series, but particularly in Games 4 and 5, when he averaged 49.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.0 block on .590/.333/.741 shooting in 43.4 minutes.

“Out of respect, you gotta let the coach make that adjustment,” Antetokounmpo said of guarding Butler. “We have our best defender on him. There are conversations with Jrue. Whenever he gets tired, I can take him, but he’s so competitive. He plays so hard. He wants to take the challenge. But at the end of the day, I wish I could guard him more, for sure.”

When Nehm asked Budenholzer if he viewed the season as a failure, he framed it in slightly different terms.

“This team has incredibly high expectations,” Budenholzer said. “(General manager) Jon Horst has put together an amazing roster. The ownership has done what they’re supposed to do. We made a push, we were the No. 1 seed, but all that matters is the playoffs.

“And so, I think we’re just disappointed. I would not use that word (failure). We’re disappointed, we’re frustrated. It hurts. But I said it all year, we love this team, we love these guys, I believe in ’em, we believe in ’em, we didn’t get it done tonight. So, to me, disappointed, hurt, frustrated, I think is more characteristic of how we feel about tonight.”

People around the league think Budenholzer will eventually be fired following the five-game series, according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, who said on his podcast that he believes that’s the most likely outcome.

“There’s some losses for which there’s just no going back,” Lowe said (hat tip to RealGM). “You cannot come back the same team. And the Bucks cannot come back the same team from this. I don’t know how it will go…

“League insiders, you don’t really have to be an insider, but league insiders are extremely skeptical that Mike Budenholzer can return as head coach of the Bucks after this. He has, according to [Adrian Wojnarowski], his last extension which happened after they won the title runs through the ’24/25 season, so he has two years left. I just don’t see any coming back from it. It’s just logic.

“I think the league insiders are going to be right. I just don’t see any other way.”

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