Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Hawks Rumors

Haynes’ Latest: Beal, Pacers, Lue, McMillan, Henderson, Hornets

June 16th, 2023 at 12:51pm CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards have given Bradley Beal and his representatives – including agent Mark Bartelstein – permission to talk to rival teams about a potential trade, sources tell Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.

While Beal has not requested a trade, per Haynes, the Wizards are reportedly mulling the idea of a roster reset that would involve moving the star guard. Since Beal has a no-trade clause, he’ll be very much a part of any trade negotiations, so it’s no surprise that his camp has been granted permission to talk directly to potential suitors.

[RELATED: Wizards, Bradley Beal Discussing Trade Scenarios]

The Heat and Bucks are among the teams expected to speak with Bartelstein, sources tell Haynes. The Heat and Beal have been linked in the past and appear to have mutual interest, but the 29-year-old isn’t attempting to force his way to Miami or to any other specific team, a source tells Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

As for Milwaukee, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports confirms there have been rumblings about the Bucks having interest in Beal, as others have reported. But a Bucks trade for Beal would probably have to include Khris Middleton, according to Fischer, who says all indications are that Milwaukee intends to bring back Middleton and free agent center Brook Lopez.

Here’s more from Haynes’ latest rumor round-up:

  • The Pacers have made the No. 7 pick available and are in the market for a starting-caliber wing, per Haynes, echoing a report from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (Twitter video link via Evan Sidery of Forbes). According to Fischer, Indiana previously explored trade scenarios for Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter (for Chris Duarte and draft capital) and Raptors forward OG Anunoby. The Pacers are also expected to be among the suitors for Celtics restricted free agent forward Grant Williams, Fischer adds.
  • The Clippers are considered unlikely to reach an agreement on a contract extension with head coach Tyronn Lue this offseason, Haynes reports. Lue has one more guaranteed year on his contract, with a team option for 2024/25. Haynes adds that the Suns never officially made contact with the Clippers about their interest in Lue this spring, since L.A. would have wanted draft assets to release Lue from his contract, and Phoenix used most of its draft picks at the trade deadline to acquire Kevin Durant.
  • Nate McMillan turned down an offer to join the Mavericks‘ coaching staff and intends to take a year off from coaching to spend time with his family, sources tell Haynes.
  • Scoot Henderson will return to North Carolina on Monday to meet with Hornets owner Michael Jordan, writes Haynes. Fischer previously reported that Charlotte wanted to bring both Henderson and Brandon Miller back early next week to meet with Jordan. It’s unclear whether or not Miller will also return to Charlotte.
Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Mavericks Rumors: No. 10 Pick, Collins, Bertans, Wood

June 16th, 2023 at 11:32am CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks are mulling trade opportunities that would move them down from No. 10 in the draft to the middle of the first round, sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. The goal would be to acquire more veteran help to supplement franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic and free-agent-to-be Kyrie Irving, whom Dallas will look to re-sign.

According to Fischer, the Mavericks and Hawks have discussed the idea of a trade that would see the No. 10 pick and Davis Bertans going to Atlanta, with the No. 15 selection and John Collins sent to Dallas. It’s unclear if other pieces would be involved in that hypothetical swap, but either way, the two teams don’t appear to have made a ton of progress in those discussions, Fischer says.

Here’s more out of Dallas:

  • In his latest mock draft, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer also cites sources who say Dallas is trying to move down or even out of the draft entirely. The Mavs have interest in turning the No. 10 pick into multiple players or picks, O’Connor adds.
  • Not many sources that Sam Vecenie of The Athletic has spoken to believe that the Mavericks will end up staying at No. 10. While it’s possible Dallas won’t find a deal it likes, the team is definitely preparing for the possibility of moving down — Vecenie has heard from agents that the team has been asking for workouts with players likely to be drafted in the 20s or 30s, despite not owning a pick besides No. 10 this year.
  • The Mavericks aren’t expected to make Christian Wood an offer when he reaches unrestricted free agency in a couple weeks, Marc Stein writes at Substack. Sources tell Stein that the Mavs have essentially moved on from Wood and are looking to “remake” their center rotation.
Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Quin Snyder Discusses New Coaching Staff

June 15th, 2023 at 8:04am CST by Luke Adams
  • Discussing his newly completed coaching staff, Hawks head coach Quin Snyder told Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he wanted a strong player development group made up of “selfless” individuals who would help instill that philosophy in Atlanta’s players. “It’s like putting any team together that whether it’s, tactical experience, analytics experience, literally different cultures and genders and all the different things that go into making a unique, strong group,” Snyder said. “But ‘The Thin Red Line’ to me that runs through all of it was, just selfless people that are able to put the group in front of themselves and I really want our staff to model that because that’s what we’re asking of our team.”
Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Hawks Officially Announce Quin Snyder’s Coaching Staff

June 14th, 2023 at 10:23am CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks have issued a press release confirming several new additions to Quin Snyder‘s coaching staff, most of which have been previously reported.

Those additions are as follows:

  • Igor Kokoskov, the former head coach of the Suns and most recently a Nets assistant.
  • Ekpe Udoh, a former NBA center who played for Snyder in Utah from 2017-19 and recently retired as a player.
  • Bryan Bailey, who worked as an assistant on Snyder’s staff in Utah.
  • Mike Brey, the longtime head coach at Notre Dame.
  • Brittni Donaldson, a former assistant with the Raptors and Pistons.
  • Antonio Lang, a Cavaliers assistant who worked under Snyder in Utah from 2014-19.
  • Sanjay Lumpkin, a former Jazz player development coach.

The Hawks are also bringing back Steven Klei and Jeff Watkinson, two more former Jazz assistants who joined Snyder’s staff in March.

Additionally, Reggis Onwukamuche – a former College Park Skyhawks player and Jazz video room staffer – is joining the team as a player development coach, while Bryan George – formerly an assistant coach for ASVEL in France – has also been formally added to the player development staff in a video coordinator role.

Snyder replaced Nate McMillan as the Hawks’ head coach midway through the 2022/23 season, so ’23/24 will be his first full year on the team’s bench. As such, it’s no surprise that he was given the opportunity to revamp his staff and replace several of McMillan’s old assistants this spring.

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Details On Hawks' Tuesday, Wednesday Workouts

June 14th, 2023 at 8:03am CST by Luke Adams
Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Draft Notes: Rockets, Thompsons, Black, Green Room Invites, Osunniyi, Burton

June 13th, 2023 at 5:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Rockets hold the No. 4 pick and they were visited this week by three candidates who could potentially be selected at that spot. The Overtime Elite brother duo of Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson and Arkansas’ Anthony Black met with Houston’s brass. Amen and Ausar are currently ranked No. 4 and No. 5, respectively, on ESPN’s Best Available list with Black slotted at No. 8. The Thompsons reportedly met recently with the Pistons, who hold the No. 5 pick. They’ve also visited the Hornets (No. 2) and Trail Blazers (No. 3). There has been much less intel on Black’s pre-draft visits.

We have more draft-related info:

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Ekpe Udoh Retiring As Player, Joining Hawks’ Coaching Staff

June 13th, 2023 at 12:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA big man Ekpe Udoh is transitioning into the next phase of his career, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that Udoh is joining the Hawks as a member of Quin Snyder‘s coaching staff.

Udoh hasn’t been on an NBA roster since 2019, but he continued to play internationally in recent years, suiting up for teams in China, Italy, and Japan. As Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets, the 36-year-old played for the Japanese club Kyoto Hannaryz earlier this year, but has opted to retire as a player and will pivot to coaching.

The sixth overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft, Udoh began his career in Golden State and made stops in Milwaukee, Los Angeles (with the Clippers), and Utah from 2010-19. The 6’10” center also played in Israel and Turkey during that period, winning a EuroLeague title in 2017 with Fenerbahce. He made the All-EuroLeague First Team that year after leading the league in rebounds and blocked shots.

In 384 career NBA regular season games, Udoh averaged a modest 3.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 14.8 minutes per night. He also made 16 appearances in the postseason, but never played a major role, averaging just 5.8 MPG in those contests. Of his 400 total NBA games, 122 came for the Jazz under Snyder, who was the team’s head coach at the time.

The Hawks are also adding Bryan George to their coaching staff as a video coordinator with a focus on player development, tweets Jeff Schultz of The Athletic. George had been an assistant coach for ASVEL in France.

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Southeast Draft Notes: Miller, Hornets, Council, Smith

June 12th, 2023 at 7:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hornets hold the No. 2 pick and Alabama forward Brandon Miller will work out for them on Tuesday, Ashley Stroehlein of WCNC tweets. Miller and G League guard Scoot Henderson are the top contenders to be chosen at the No. 2 spot. It was previously reported that Miller was scheduled to work out for Charlotte on Tuesday and the plans obviously didn’t change. In fact, he has already arrived in Charlotte.

We have more draft-related news from the Southeast Division:

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

And-Ones: Hard Cap, New CBA, All-Star Game, Top FAs

June 9th, 2023 at 11:39am CST by Luke Adams

NBA teams become hard-capped at the tax apron when they either acquire a player via sign-and-trade, use more than the taxpayer portion of the mid-level exception, or use the bi-annual exception. According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report (Twitter link), there will be a fourth way that clubs can hard-cap themselves next season — they won’t be able to spend above the first tax apron if they take back more than 110% of the salary they send out in a trade during the 2023/24 league year.

In a full story for Bleacher Report, Pincus takes a more comprehensive look at which teams will be most impacted by the increased spending restrictions that will be implemented starting next season as a result of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

While it’s no surprise that the Warriors and Clippers will be among the clubs most adversely impacted, Pincus also names the Hawks, Pelicans, and Heat that will have to be careful about their team salaries going forward. A Pelicans team source tells Bleacher Report that there’s “a zero percent chance” New Orleans will be able to keep its entire core intact through 2025/26, with young players like Trey Murphy, Herbert Jones, and Jose Alvarado due for raises in the coming years.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • Appearing on NBA Countdown on ESPN prior to Game 3 of the Finals (YouTube link), commissioner Adam Silver didn’t close the door on the possibility of the league pitting a U.S. team against an international team in the All-Star Game down the road. As Silver explained, the NBA has historically shied away from that idea due to the imbalance in the two player pools, but the recent success enjoyed by international stars has put it back on the league’s radar.
  • John Hollinger of The Athletic ranks the top 25 free agents of 2023 using his BORD$ formula, with Kyrie Irving, James Harden, and Fred VanVleet leading the way.
  • The NBA is considering using technology to automate out-of-bounds and goaltending calls late in games and will test that technology in this July’s summer leagues, NBA president of basketball operations Byron Spruell confirmed this week (link via Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com). Spruell added that the league hopes to eventually have its referees focusing more on subjective rulings than the objective ones that could become automated.
Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

Central Notes: Bucks Assistants, Beauchamp, Bulls, Pistons

June 8th, 2023 at 3:24pm CST by Rory Maher

Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin will be adding a couple of veteran assistants to his staff, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). The new hires are Joe Prunty and Patrick Mutombo, who were with the Hawks and Suns this past season, respectively.

It will be Prunty’s second stint in Milwaukee, as he previously spent four seasons with the organization (2014-18), serving as interim head coach in 2017/18. He had a brief stint as interim coach of the Hawks in ’22/23 as well before they hired Quin Snyder. Prunty has been an NBA assistant for over 20 years, getting his start with San Antonio.

A former assistant with the Nuggets and Raptors, Mutombo was also head coach of the Raptors 905, Toronto’s G League affiliate, before heading to Phoenix to join Monty Williams‘ staff. Williams was fired after the season ended (he was recently hired by Detroit), leaving Mutombo to find a new opportunity. He previously worked with Griffin in Toronto.

Here’s more from the Central:

  • Bucks wing MarJon Beauchamp, who just completed his rookie season, said he had plans to travel to Greece on Wednesday to train with two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, writes Lori Nickel of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I’m excited – I don’t know what to expect,” Beauchamp said with a big smile. He also intends to play in Summer League next month, according to Nickel. The 2022 first-round pick was attending Griffin’s introductory press conference when he relayed the information.
  • K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago weighs the pros and cons of the Bulls possibly pursuing Chris Paul if he ends up getting waived by the Suns. While Paul could help the Bulls, Johnson considers it a “long-shot scenario” at the moment, noting that signing him while retaining some of the team’s own free agents could push Chicago into the luxury tax.
  • If Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Miller, Scoot Henderson and Amen Thompson are the first four names called during the upcoming draft, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic believes the most likely scenario for the Pistons at No. 5 is selecting Villanova wing Cam Whitmore. In the event that Whitmore is taken No. 4, Edwards predicts Detroit will take Houston forward Jarace Walker instead of either of the Thompson twins. He also explores a “very, very, very unlikely” but “non-zero” scenario in which Miller falls to No. 5.
Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts