Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Author: Luke Adams

And-Ones: 2025 Draft, Flagg, All-Star Game, Coaches

November 12th, 2024 at 9:17am CST by Luke Adams

With the NCAA men’s basketball season underway, draft experts Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo have updated their 2025 NBA mock draft at ESPN.com (Insider link), projecting next June’s top 30 picks based on their own scouting and intel from executives around the league.

There are no surprises at the top of ESPN’s latest mock draft. The projected picks at No. 1 (Cooper Flagg), No. 2 (Ace Bailey), and No. 3 (Dylan Harper) remain unchanged since Givony and Woo published a mock in June, and V.J. Edgecombe and Nolan Traore are still in the top five.

Still, there are some notable risers or fallers elsewhere in the first round. Duke freshman Kon Knueppel (No. 17 in June) is up to No. 6, while Ratiopharm Ulm guard Ben Saraf comes in at No. 13 after not showing up in June’s mock draft. Conversely, Real Madrid wing Hugo Gonzalez has slipped from seventh to 12th, while Miami freshman Jalil Bethea is down to 25th after having placed 13th in June.

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

  • In a separate story for ESPN.com, Baxter Holmes takes a closer look at Flagg’s journey from growing up in a small town in Maine to becoming a Duke Blue Devil and basketball’s top prospect. Holmes’ feature includes several entertaining anecdotes, including one about how a 13-year-old Flagg “dominated” a Boston-area pickup game run by former NBA forward Brian Scalabrine.
  • While commissioner Adam Silver recently acknowledged that the NBA is weighing the idea of using a new format for this season’s All-Star Game, veteran NBA insider Marc Stein (Substack link) says he doesn’t expect the league to opt for a U.S. vs. the World matchup in February. Still, sources tell Stein that format is a possibility that has been discussed within the league office, so it may still be in play for future seasons.
  • Michael Scotto of HoopsHype spent 24 hours this fall behind the scenes with the Pacers‘ coaching staff and shares his takeaways and insights on what a day in the life of an NBA coach looks like.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Central Notes: Lillard, Cavs, Atkinson, Garland, Ball

November 12th, 2024 at 7:40am CST by Luke Adams

Bucks point guard Damian Lillard has entered the NBA’s concussion protocol and will miss Tuesday’s game vs. Toronto, the team announced (Twitter link via Tim Bontemps of ESPN).

Sources tell NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link) that Lillard was hit in the head near the end of the third quarter of Sunday’s game against Boston. After he experienced headaches and dizziness on Monday, testing confirmed he has a concussion.

It’s possible Lillard will be able to return in time for Wednesday’s game vs. Detroit, Haynes says, but he’ll have to pass all the tests in the concussion protocol in order to receive medical clearance. That process often takes at least a few days.

We have more from around the Central:

  • The Cavaliers pushed their season-opening win streak to a dozen games with a win over Chicago on Monday, becoming the first team to start a season 12-0 or better since the 2015/16 Warriors (who went 24-0). “It’s great. We’re playing well, vibes are good, but we have to continue to be this team,” star guard Donovan Mitchell said, according to Jamal Collier of ESPN. “That’s been my message to the guys in the locker room. This is great. We’re going to get teams’ best shots. We’re going to get tested early, but are we going to continue? And I never — no doubt we will — but that’s been my thing. Are we going to continue to be this team January, February, March, April? I think the guys all feel it, but it’s great to enjoy these moments too while you’re still having a humble approach to it.”
  • In a subscriber-only story for Cleveland.com, Chris Fedor takes a look at how new head coach Kenny Atkinson‘s creativity and experimentation has helped spur the Cavaliers‘ early-season success. Meanwhile, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today explores how reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week Darius Garland has rediscovered his joy and love for the game this fall under Atkinson.
  • Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball, who is recovering from a right wrist sprain, is out of his brace and will begin dribbling in the coming days to see how the wrist responds, head coach Billy Donovan said on Monday, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “I do think he has some soreness, (and) certainly it’s been a slow progression for him,” Donovan said. “But he has gotten better.”
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Bucks Notes: Wright, Rollins, Jackson, Giannis

November 11th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Signing veteran guard Delon Wright to a minimum-salary contract over the summer was viewed as a savvy free agency move for a Bucks team facing serious roster-building constraints. However, Wright is off to a slow start in Milwaukee, having fallen out of the rotation entirely just a couple weeks into the season. He’s been a DNP-CD in each the past three games.

“I mean, it wasn’t really a conversation – they kind of just did it,” Wright said of being benched, per Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (subscription required). “It’s their decision. I can’t really be too mad at it. It is frustrating but I’m trying to stay ready. It’s a long season.”

Wright, who is in his 10th NBA season, is playing for his ninth different team, so he’s gotten accustomed to having to make a good first impression. He suggested that sometimes it takes a little longer for a new team to figure out how best to utilize him.

“This is not the first time it’s happened to me,” Wright told Owczarski. “Especially with a new coaching staff, they’re not really fully aware of what I do best. They have an idea, but once I get into a rhythm, once I get really acclimated with the team then I’ll be able to be utilized more. Right now I’m just like a three-and-D guy, just play defense and just move the ball. Once I get more acclimated and they get familiar with me it’ll be different for me. But, just have to stay ready, build my confidence back up and wherever (the minutes) is at, be more confident, be more aggressive.”

Two-way guard Ryan Rollins, a 2022 second-round pick who is on his third NBA team, has taken Wright’s spot in the rotation for now and is looking to take advantage of a rare opportunity for regular minutes. While the veteran Wright hopes to eventually earn those minutes back, he recognizes that he has to be supportive of his younger teammate in the meantime.

“I don’t want to be a Debbie Downer. I don’t want to have my energy affect anybody else,” Wright said. “So, I just have to try to stay as engaged as I can, even though it sucks that you’re not playing. I have to encourage Ryan, because he would do the same when he wasn’t playing, cheering me on. I have to make sure to be a good teammate and try to continue to just work. My time will come back around. You never know what can happen in a season.”

Here’s more out of Milwaukee:

  • Second-year wing Andre Jackson, who has started the Bucks’ past three games, logged just four minutes in the second half on Sunday after playing 18 of 24 first-half minutes. What was the thinking behind that usage? “I thought the way (the Celtics) were helping off of him was really affecting our offense, especially from the second quarter on,” head coach Doc Rivers explained (Twitter link via Eric Nehm of The Athletic). “He’s gonna be a good player for us. We gotta still work with him about what to do when that happens. When you watch the tape, his guy was on the other side of the floor sometimes, double-teaming. They didn’t care where he went. And we gotta make sure we put him in the right spots.”
  • Lori Nickel of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel considers what to make of the Bucks’ disappointing 2-8 start, suggesting Milwaukee has lost its identity as a “hustle team” as its roster has aged.
  • Michael Pina of The Ringer evaluates whether the idea of a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade is realistic, noting that the Bucks look pretty far away from being the sort of title-contending team the two-time MVP wants them to be. Pina doesn’t anticipate an in-season deal, but won’t rule out the possibility of something happening next summer and makes the case that the Rockets would be an intriguing trade partner for Milwaukee.
  • In case you missed it, Celtics wing Jaylen Brown expressed annoyance with Antetokounmpo following Boston’s win over the Bucks on Sunday.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Nikola Jokic, Darius Garland Named Players Of The Week

November 11th, 2024 at 2:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been named the NBA’s Player of the Week for the Western Conference, while Cavaliers guard Darius Garland has won the award for the Eastern Conference, the league announced today (Twitter link).

Jokic led the Nuggets to a 4-0 record during the week of November 4-10, posting a ridiculous stat line of 29.5 points, 15.8 rebounds, and 14.5 assists per game. He had triple-doubles in all four games and registered a shooting line of .566/.500/.897 in wins over Toronto, Oklahoma City, Miami, and Dallas.

After a slow start, Denver is riding a five-game winning streak and holds a top-four spot in the West at 7-3. Jokic, meanwhile, has full-season averages of 29.7 PPG, 13.7 RPG, and 11.7 APG as he makes a case for a fourth MVP award. He leads the league in both rebounds and assists per game.

The Cavaliers, meanwhile, had another perfect week, with victories over the Bucks, Pelicans, Warriors, and Nets to push their overall record to 11-0. Garland, who is enjoying a bounce-back fall after an up-and-down 2023/24 season, led the way with 25.0 PPG and 7.3 APG on a scorching-hot .617/.576/.875 shooting line.

Garland is the second Cleveland guard to be named the East’s Player of the Week this season — Donovan Mitchell earned the honor last Monday.

Jokic beat out Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kyrie Irving, and Norman Powell for the award in the West. In the East, LaMelo Ball, Cade Cunningham, Bennedict Mathurin, Myles Turner, Jayson Tatum, and Franz Wagner were the other nominees (Twitter link).

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Thunder’s Kenrich Williams Cleared For Season Debut

November 11th, 2024 at 1:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Thunder forward Kenrich Williams is no longer listed on the team’s injury report, meaning he’ll be available to make his season debut on Monday vs. the Clippers after missing the team’s first 10 games of the season (hat tip to Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman).

Williams underwent an arthroscopic debridement procedure on his right knee in mid-September, sidelining him for training camp, the preseason, and the start of the regular season. He was assigned to the G League for practice purposes over the weekend, indicating that he was nearing a return.

Williams, who will turn 30 next month, saw his playing time decline last season for the Thunder after averaging 22.0 minutes per game in his first three years in Oklahoma City. In 69 outings in 2023/24, the 6’6″ forward averaged 4.7 points and 3.0 rebounds in just 14.9 minutes per contest.

A solid defender who has made 38.8% of his attempts from beyond the arc since joining the Thunder in 2020, Williams slid down the depth chart as a result of younger players like Jalen Williams, Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, and Cason Wallace taking on increased roles.

There’s no guarantee that Williams will actually see the floor on Monday despite being available. However, a couple factors are working in his favor. Not only is it the second night of a back-to-back set for Oklahoma City, but the club is missing its top three big men (Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Jaylin Williams) due to injuries and could use another healthy body in its frontcourt.

Although Williams entered the league as more of a wing, Basketball-Reference’s play-by-play data indicates he spent 93% of his minutes last season as a power forward or center. That data is somewhat subjective, but with three centers unavailable, the Thunder could certainly turn to Williams as a de facto big man in small-ball lineups.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Celtics Notes: Tatum, Brown, Sunday Win, Pritchard

November 11th, 2024 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Celtics forward Jayson Tatum was able to stay in the game after landing on Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s foot and turning his left ankle on a three-point attempt in the third quarter of Sunday’s matchup with the Bucks (Twitter video link). Speaking to reporters after pulling out the win, Tatum downplayed the injury, referring to his ankle as just “a little sore.” However, he wasn’t pleased with the fact that no foul was called on Antetokounmpo on the play.

“There are certain calls you can’t miss,” Tatum told reporters, per Brian Robb of MassLive.com. “Your job is to protect the guys on the court, protect the shooter. That’s something I could have been out for six weeks or whatever. For it to be a no-call, let alone they didn’t even get to review it or look at it, right?”

Head coach Joe Mazzulla also referred to the non-call as “ridiculous” during his post-game comments, though Tatum credit the head coach and his staff for helping him cool off in the moment. As Robb points out, the star forward has already racked up four technical fouls in the first three weeks of the season — he was able to avoid a fifth on Sunday.

“I mean, coaches kind of calmed me down,” Tatum said. “It’s a tough situation. I get my fair share of techs throughout the season, rightfully so, unrightfully so. … That s–t is frustrating when all you get is a ‘Sorry we missed it.’ Your ankle is sore and you got to figure it out. I definitely was frustrated.”

The Celtics have a back-to-back set vs. Atlanta and at Brooklyn on Tuesday and Wednesday, so Tatum will have just one day to rest the ankle, assuming he doesn’t plan to sit out any games.

Here’s more on the Celtics:

  • As he was heading back up the court in the second quarter of Sunday’s game after being whistled for an offensive foul, Antetokounmpo offered his hand to Jaylen Brown for a handshake, then pulled it away when Brown reached to shake it (Twitter video link). Antetokounmpo laughed and quickly offered his hand back to Brown with a smile, but the Celtics wing didn’t make a second attempt to shake it and suggested after the game that he didn’t see the humor in the moment, per Jamal Collier of ESPN. “Giannis is a child,” Brown said. “I’m just focused on helping my team get a win. And that’s what we did tonight.”
  • Antetokounmpo was surprised to hear of Brown’s post-game comments, telling reporters in his own media session that he plays the game with “joy” and that he and Brown have joked around on the court in the past. “I’m just going to continue to be me,” Giannis said, according to Collier. “And at the end of the day, if I’m called a child, so be it.” Brown committed a hard foul on Antetokounmpo in the fourth quarter and was called for a flagrant-1, but said after the game that it was unrelated to the interaction earlier in the game.
  • Sunday was Brown’s first appearance following a four-game absence due to a hip flexor injury that had been nagging at him since training camp. As Souichi Terada of MassLive.com relays, Brown provided a positive health update after the Celtics’ win. “I’ve been playing through it,” he said. “Didn’t really get any better while I was playing, so we decided it was best to get a little bit of rest to get off of it. I think that did me well. Today, I felt a little bit more of that burst. I felt a little stronger physically and able to go both directions. Something good to build on.”
  • Payton Pritchard‘s play this fall has been an early-season highlight for Boston, Terada writes for MassLive.com. Pritchard contributed 18 points in Sunday’s victory and has now scored at least 15 points in nine of the team’s first 11 games. After the game, Jrue Holiday referred to Pritchard as “somebody you love to play with,” while Brown said his teammate has been “excellent” so far this season. “His growth has been incredible to watch,” Brown added. “Payton has been making those steps and he’s a big-time player.” Pritchard is in the first season of a four-year, $30MM extension that he signed in 2023.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Chet Holmgren Expected To Miss At Least 8-10 Weeks

November 11th, 2024 at 5:34am CST by Luke Adams

Thunder big man Chet Holmgren has been diagnosed with a right iliac wing fracture after taking a hard fall during the first quarter of the team’s loss to Golden State on Sunday (video link), Oklahoma City announced in a press release (Twitter link via Rylan Stiles of SI.com). An iliac wing fracture is a form of pelvic fracture.

While the Thunder say Holmgren is expected to return to action later in the 2024/25 season, he’ll be out for an extended period. The plan is to reevaluate him in eight-to-10 weeks, per the club.

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 draft, Holmgren missed his entire rookie season due to a foot injury, then appeared in all 82 regular season games in 2023/24.

“Can’t tell if I feel better or worse about this, having been through something similar before,” Holmgren wrote on Twitter. “On one hand I know how to approach it, I know what to do, what not to do and how beautiful the other side is. But on the other hand I’ve felt the frustration of this process, and the wear it puts on your mind.

“Most of all I’m hurt I can’t help my teammates and play for our fans and supporters for a while. Everyone who sticks with me and our team, along with my need for hoops, is a big part of my passion to return. Don’t pity me or feel bad, there’s lots of people out there right now with real problems that don’t heal.”

Holmgren’s injury is a tough blow to a Thunder team that entered the season as the favorite to be the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed and had lived up to expectations this fall, winning eight of its first nine games before falling to the Warriors on Sunday.

Holmgren, last year’s Rookie of the Year runner-up, had been a key part of that early success, averaging 18.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks in 28.9 minutes per game across nine outings, with a .519/.400/.776 shooting line.

The Thunder signed center Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency over the summer to bolster their frontcourt and help out Holmgren in the middle, but Hartenstein has been sidelined in recent weeks with an injury of his own, having fractured his left hand during the preseason.

Oklahoma City announced nearly four weeks ago that Hartenstein would be reevaluated in five-to-six weeks, so that exam will happen soon. While there’s no indication yet that his return is imminent, it sounds like he should be back on the court well before Holmgren is.

The Thunder have also been waiting on big man Jaylin Williams, who went down with a hamstring strain nearly two weeks ago. He’s expected to remain sidelined for a few more weeks.

Until the Thunder gets Hartenstein and Williams back, the team will have to rely on smaller lineups, as it did on Sunday after Holmgren’s exit. Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe opened the second half alongside usual starters Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luguentz Dort, and Jalen Williams. Ousmane Dieng, a 6’10” forward, is also a candidate for an increased role.

“This is a resilient, tough, competitive, adaptive team,” head coach Mark Daigneault said after the game, per The Athletic. “And that’s what we’re gonna be regardless of the circumstance.”

It’s worth noting that rookie forward Malevy Leons is currently occupying the Thunder’s 15th roster spot on a non-guaranteed deal. If the team wants to bring in a veteran center on a temporary basis, he’d be the most likely release candidate. As Michael Scotto of HoopsHype points out (via Twitter), 13-year vet Bismack Biyombo – who spent part of last season in OKC, is among the top options available in free agency.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

NBA G League Affiliate Players For 2024/25

November 10th, 2024 at 4:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Throughout the offseason and preseason, NBA teams are permitted to carry 21 players, but that number must be reduced to 15 (plus three two-way players) in advance of opening night. However, up to four players waived by teams prior to the season can be designated as “affiliate players” and assigned to their G League squads.

As we explain in more detail in our glossary entry on the subject, if a player’s NBA team has designated him as an affiliate player and he signs a G League contract, he is automatically assigned to that team’s NBAGL roster.

Of the G League’s 31 teams, 30 are directly affiliated with an NBA club. Only the Mexico City Capitanes are unaffiliated and are ineligible to have affiliate players.

Here are the affiliate players for the other 30 squads to open the 2024/25 season, which tipped off on Friday:

Austin Spurs (Spurs)

Birmingham Squadron (Pelicans)

Capital City Go-Go (Wizards)

Cleveland Charge (Cavaliers)

College Park Skyhawks (Hawks)

Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers)

Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets)

Greensboro Swarm (Hornets)

Indiana Mad Ants (Pacers)

Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves)

Long Island Nets (Nets)

Maine Celtics (Celtics)

Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies)

Motor City Cruise (Pistons)

Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder)

  • Cormac Ryan
  • Note: The Blue also designated Chase Jeter and Malevy Leons as affiliate players, but Jeter has since been waived, while Leons got a call-up to the Thunder’s standard roster.

Osceola Magic (Magic)

Raptors 905 (Raptors)

Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets)

Rip City Remix (Trail Blazers)

Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz)

San Diego Clippers (Clippers)

Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors)

Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat)

South Bay Lakers (Lakers)

Stockton Kings (Kings)

Texas Legends (Mavericks)

Valley Suns (Suns)

Westchester Knicks (Knicks)

Windy City Bulls (Bulls)

Wisconsin Herd (Bucks)

Note: Our affiliate players for 24 teams were officially confirmed by those clubs. Our affiliate player lists for the Delaware Blue Coats, OKC Blue, Rip City Remix, SLC Stars, Valley Suns, and Windy City Bulls have not been officially confirmed and are based on our research.

In addition to these “affiliate players,” G League teams have the ability to fill out their rosters with the following types of players:

  • Returning rights: Players whose G League rights were already held by the team from a previous season (or were acquired in a trade from another NBAGL team).
  • G League draft rights: Players who were selected in this season’s G League draft.
  • NBA draft rights: Players who were drafted by an NBA team and signed a G League contract instead of an NBA contract.
  • Local tryout: Players who earned a shot via a local tryout.
  • G League player pool: Players who signed G League contracts and went undrafted (or signed their contracts after the draft). Newly signed players go through a waiver process and enter the league’s free agent pool if they go unclaimed.
  • Two-way contract: Players who are on a two-way contract with an NBA team and have been transferred to the G League.
  • NBA assignment: Players who are on a standard contract with an NBA team and have been assigned to the G League.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Stein’s Latest: Nets, Giannis, Mexico City, Spurs

November 10th, 2024 at 1:23pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nets lost both games of their back-to-back set on Friday and Saturday, but they pushed the Celtics to overtime on Friday in Boston and took the undefeated Cavaliers down to the wire in Cleveland on Saturday.

Projected before the season to be the NBA’s worst team, Brooklyn has looked surprisingly competitive under new head coach Jordi Fernandez, winning four of its first 10 games and holding its own against a relatively tough schedule. Only two of the Nets’ losses have been by more than five points.

As Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack article, the Nets’ front office signaled during the summer by reacquiring control of their 2025 and 2026 first-round picks in a trade with Houston that they were expecting to finish firmly in the lottery. If they want to ensure the team has a shot at a franchise player in the ’25 draft, the front office may need to start making in-season deals sooner than expected, Stein notes.

According to Stein, Dennis Schröder, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Bojan Bogdanovic are the veterans mentioned most frequently by rival teams as Nets players they expect to be on the move by the February 6 trade deadline. All three are on manageable contracts (with cap hits below than $20MM) and could become unrestricted free agents in 2025. Schröder and Bogdanovic are on expiring deals, while Finney-Smith holds a player option for 2025/26.

Here’s more from Stein:

  • After writing last weekend about the “league-wide lusting” for Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stein follows up to clarify that the league’s 29 non-Bucks teams understand the two-time MVP will only ever be made available if he pushes for a trade. That hasn’t happened, but several clubs have started planning for the possibility it might and have let Milwaukee know they’ll be ready to talk if and when the time comes, according to Stein.
  • Stein recently wrote about the idea of the NBA expanding to Mexico City and said he “just can’t see it happening.” In today’s Substack article, he says one “well-placed Mexico expert” warned him not to be so dismissive of the possibility, pointing out that the “immense financial opportunities” available in the country make it an idea the NBA won’t give up on easily. That source also pointed out that if the NBA realigns to four-team divisions, a Mexico City franchise would be well positioned to share a division with Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. Still, Las Vegas and Seattle remain the presumptive frontrunners for the league’s next round of expansion, says Stein.
  • The Spurs turned to 37-year-old Mitch Johnson rather than former NBA head coach Brett Brown with Gregg Popovich recently forced to be away from the team due to a health issue. As Stein explains, that was always the plan in the event that Popovich had to miss time, since Brown prefers to remain in his current role that allows him to provide guidance to the team’s young players, young coaches, and video staffers. Brown’s focus, per Stein, is on “helping Johnson thrive” as acting head coach.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

NBA Assistants Drawing Interest From WNBA Teams Seeking Head Coaches

November 9th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Several WNBA teams with head coaching openings are eyeing assistants on NBA clubs as potential candidates, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (video link).

While Fischer didn’t identity any specific assistant coaches who are drawing interest from WNBA teams, he suggested it wouldn’t be a surprise to see some make the leap ahead of next season.

“There is a wave right now of WNBA teams looking to keep bringing NBA coaching talent from the league into the W,” Fischer said. “That is what’s happening all across these searches right now. … In the last four or five years (since) I’ve been shifting more into this intel space, insider world, I’ve never heard more people talking more about the intriguing opportunity for NBA assistant coaches to join a WNBA franchise as a head coach right now.”

The Los Angeles Sparks, Atlanta Dream, Washington Mystics, Dallas Wings, and Connecticut Sun all currently have head coaching vacancies. Expansion teams in Toronto and Portland will also have to hire coaches before they begin play in 2026. According to Fischer, the Sparks, Dream, and Mystics have all hired search firms to help them identify top candidates.

The salaries for WNBA head coaches are believed to be in the $500K-$1MM range, sources tell Fischer, which is part of the appeal of the jobs. While those figures pale in comparison to top NBA head coaching salaries, they compare favorably to what a lot of NBA assistants are earning. According to Fischer, many front-of-bench NBA assistant coaches have salaries in the neighborhood of $200-300K.

Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon, who was hired ahead of the 2022 season, and Nate Tibbetts of the Phoenix Mercury, hired prior to 2024, are among the current WNBA head coaches who spent years as NBA assistants and were plucked directly off NBA staffs. Hammon became the highest-paid coach in WNBA history when she was hired and Tibbetts reportedly surpassed her two years later.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts