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Olympic Notes: Lillard, Green, Canada, Serbia, Italy

June 15th, 2021 at 10:35am CST by Luke Adams

Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard and Warriors forward/center Draymond Green are among the first players to commit to Team USA ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, sources tell Shams Charania and Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

Team USA figures to bring more than a dozen players to its initial camp this summer before paring down the roster to 12 for Tokyo, so Lillard’s and Green’s commitments don’t guarantee that they’ll be part of the final Olympic roster. However, it seems safe to assume that spots on the 12-man squad will be reserved for the two stars as long as they remain healthy and committed.

Green won a gold medal at the 2016 Olympics, while Lillard has yet to play for Team USA in a major international tournament. Green and Lillard are two of the 57 names listed as part of USA Basketball’s initial player pool in March, though as we noted last week, many of the players on that list seem unlikely to participate for a variety of reasons, including injuries.

Here are a few more updates from around the international basketball world:

  • Team Canada’s preliminary roster for the Olympic qualifying tournament later this month included 14 current NBA players. However, according to Blake Murphy of The Athletic and Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter links), at least three of those NBA players – Pacers forward Oshae Brissett, Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks, and Celtics center Tristan Thompson – now aren’t expected to participate.
  • The Serbian national team is preparing for the possibility of being without several key players for this month’s qualifying tournament, according to a MozzartSport report (hat tip to Sportando). Hawks swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic and reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets are among the players considered unlikely to be available for the OQT in Belgrade.
  • Longtime NBA shooting guard Marco Belinelli announced that he won’t be part of the Italian team attempting to earn an Olympic berth at this month’s qualifying tournament in Belgrade, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Belinelli, who is now playing for Virtus Bologna, wants to rest to make sure he’s 100% healthy for next season.
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Coaching Rumors: Magic, Bucks, Pacers, McMillan, Borrego

June 14th, 2021 at 10:02am CST by Luke Adams

Of all the active head coaching searches around the NBA, the Magic‘s appears to be the most fluid, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. Kenny Atkinson, identified last week as a candidate for the job, has been the named most frequently linked to Orlando’s vacancy, says Fischer, but the search is expected to be wide-ranging.

Lakers assistant Jason Kidd has been connected more and more to the Magic’s opening, per Fischer, who notes that Kidd has a connection to Orlando general manager John Hammond — the two worked in Milwaukee together from 2014-17 after Hammond hired Kidd as the Bucks’ head coach.

Former Warriors assistant Jarron Collins has talked to the Magic, sources tell Bleacher Report. Fischer says Nets assistant Ime Udoka is another candidate league sources have “strongly linked” the Orlando job, though there’s a sense Udoka may have more interest in the Celtics‘ job. Sixers assistant Sam Cassell may also be on the Magic’s radar, according to Fischer, who says Cassell would be popular among Orlando’s returning players.

Here are several more coaching-related notes and rumors from Fischer’s latest report:

  • With the Bucks tied at 2-2 in their second-round series, Mike Budenholzer is in a better position now than he was a few days ago, but if Milwaukee falls short of the Finals, there’s an expectation the team may make a change, per Fischer. In that scenario, Bucks assistants Darvin Ham and Charles Lee could be candidates for a promotion, since the team may just want a change at the top rather than an overhaul of the entire coaching staff, Fischer notes.
  • If the Bucks make a change, Mike D’Antoni would likely have interest in the job, and Olimpia Milano coach Ettore Messina would be another name to keep an eye on, Fischer writes. Rick Carlisle could also receive interest from Milwaukee, Fischer adds, though Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has said Carlisle’s not going anywhere.
  • Among the teams seeking a new coach, the Pacers appear to be the club most focused on hiring someone with previous head coaching experience, Fischer reports. Given how badly the hire of first-time head coach Nate Bjorkgren worked out, that’s not a huge surprise.
  • All indications are that Nate McMillan will sign a new contract with the Hawks to become the team’s permanent head coach, but until that happens, he’ll likely receive interest from other teams with coaching openings, including the Celtics, says Fischer.
  • Sources tell Fischer that the Hornets and head coach James Borrego are expected to work out a contract extension this offseason.
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Exploring Factors Surrounding Potential Robert Williams Extension

June 13th, 2021 at 5:26pm CST by JD Shaw
  • A. Sherrod Blakely of the Boston Sports Journal ponders whether Celtics fans will be ready to “trust the process” now that Brad Stevens is the team’s lead decision-maker. Boston dealt with numerous injury and COVID-19 issues this season, never getting a fair chance at developing chemistry and competing. The team finished with an underwhelming 36-36 record and lost to the Nets 4-1 in the first round.
  • Justin Leger of NBC Sports Boston explores the factors that would go into a potential Robert Williams extension this offseason. Williams is eligible for a rookie scale extension after becoming the Celtics‘ top big man in the final stages of the season. He averaged 8.0 points and 6.9 rebounds in 18.9 minutes per game this year.
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Penny Hardaway Drawing Interest As NBA Coaching Candidate

June 11th, 2021 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

NBA teams are making calls to gather intel on University of Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that Hardaway is expected to get offers to interview for NBA jobs this offseason.

A four-time All-Star as an NBA player, Hardaway has slowly been climbing the coaching ladder over the last decade. After several years in the high school ranks, he was hired by Memphis in 2018 and has landed top recruits like James Wiseman and Precious Achiuwa in recent years. The Tigers haven’t made the NCAA tournament since Hardaway joined the program, but had a 20-8 record and were NIT champions in 2020/21.

It’s not clear which teams might offer Hardaway an interview – or if he’d be open to leaving Memphis – but the Celtics, Pacers, Magic, and Trail Blazers currently have head coaching openings.

Another noteworthy college coach, Juwan Howard of Michigan, continues to draw NBA interest as well, but he has been telling teams that he has no interest in leaving the Wolverines, according to Wojnarowski. Howard, who was specifically identified as a potential Blazers candidate, also rebuffed NBA interest in 2020.

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Celtics Have Several Internal Options For Head Coach

June 10th, 2021 at 8:11pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum
  • With new Celtics team president Brad Stevens now in charge of finding his own replacement as head coach, there are several possible internal hires he could consider, writes Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Assistant coaches Jay Larranaga, Jerome Allen, Scott Morrison and Joe Mazzulla have all interviewed for the vacant head coaching gig so far, prompting Weiss to take a closer look at Boston’s in-house options.
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Kemba Walker, Celtics Appear Headed Toward Breakup

June 9th, 2021 at 9:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kemba Walker and the Celtics are both looking to end their relationship this summer, according to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated (video link).

Former president of basketball operations Danny Ainge began shopping Walker after the team was eliminated from the playoffs last summer, Mannix states. He says Ainge and the front office were skeptical about Walker’s future after a knee injury he suffered in January 2020 lingered into the summer restart.

According to Mannix, the Celtics talked to “multiple teams” about a deal involving Walker, including a potential swap with the Spurs for LaMarcus Aldridge. The incentive for Boston was that Aldridge, now retired, had an expiring contract, while Walker is owed close to $74MM over the next two seasons.

Walker places a high priority on loyalty, Mannix adds, and was “frustrated” to learn that he was involved in trade talks after choosing the Celtics in free agency in 2019.

The report from Mannix coincides with a story by Farbod Esnaashari of Bleacher Report that claims there’s a “mutual agreement” between Walker and the Celtics to seek an offseason trade. Esnaashari mentions the Knicks and Mavericks as teams with the potential cap flexibility to assimilate Walker’s $36MM salary for next year.

Walker, 31, is a four-time All-Star, but his production has declined during two injury-plagued seasons in Boston. He went from scoring 25.6 PPG in his final year in Charlotte to 20.4 last season and 19.3 this year. He shot 42% from the field and 36% from three-point range, which were his worst numbers in six years.

A sore knee forced him to miss the start of the season, and he didn’t play his first game until mid-January. Walker missed 29 games this season and appeared in just 56 last year.

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Outside Names Emerge In Celtics’ Coaching Search

June 9th, 2021 at 7:38pm CST by Arthur Hill

New Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens has begun reaching out to other organizations for permission to interview coaching candidates, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojanarowski.

The early group of candidates will likely be expansive, according to Woj. A few names he has heard from sources include Clippers assistant Chauncey Billups, Bucks assistants Darvin Ham and Charles Lee, Mavericks assistant Jamahl Mosley, and Nets assistant Ime Udoka.

Billups and Udoka have been mentioned before in relation to Boston, but the other three names are new. Ham, who played 12 NBA seasons, has been an assistant coach for the past decade, starting with the Lakers and then working under Mike Budenholzer in both Atlanta and Milwaukee. Lee is also a former NBA player with seven years as an assistant, all under Budenholzer. Mosley started his coaching career with the Nuggets in 2005 and has been with Dallas since 2014.

Stevens, who is in the unusual position of hiring his own replacement, recently completed interviews with several assistants who were on his staff this season. Prominent names in that group include Jay Larranaga, Scott Morrison, Jerome Allen, and Joe Mazzulla.

Follow the developments on all the coaching vacancies throughout the league with our Head Coaching Search Tracker.

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Pistons Notes: Joseph, Draft, Beilein, J. Allen

June 9th, 2021 at 5:18pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons‘ luck in the draft lottery could determine whether Cory Joseph returns next season, according to Rod Beard of The Detroit News. If Detroit takes Cade Cunningham or Jalen Suggs, the front office may decide it has too many point guards on the roster to keep Joseph. He has a $2.4MM guarantee on his $12.6MM contract for next season that kicks in if he’s still on the roster August 1.

Joseph will turn 30 in August and he slipped into a veteran mentor’s role after being acquired from the Kings at the trade deadline. He put up career-best numbers in 19 games with the Pistons, averaging 12.0 points, 3.2 rebounds and 5.5 assists per night, and Beard believes the chances are “a little above 50-50” that the team will keep him.

There’s more from Detroit:

  • Former G League Ignite star Jalen Green might be the best option for the Pistons in the draft if they don’t land the top pick, Beard adds in the same piece. He sees Suggs as similar to incumbent point guard Killian Hayes — a good lead guard but not an exceptional shooter. Cunningham’s mix of both skills makes him the ideal choice, Beard states.
  • The Pistons hired former Cavaliers head coach John Beilein as a senior advisor last week to oversee the team’s six development coaches and ensure a consistent message throughout the organization, writes Keith Langlois of NBA.com. With 11 players age 24 or younger, Detroit is counting on individual improvement as the most likely way to become a contender again.
  • Celtics assistant coach Jerome Allen met today with the Pistons about an offer to join Dwane Casey’s staff, tweets Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. Allen reportedly interviewed for the head coaching job in Boston and may get an interview in Portland as well.
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Mike D’Antoni Drawing Interest As Head Coaching Candidate

June 9th, 2021 at 9:53am CST by Luke Adams

Mike D’Antoni, a two-time Coach of the Year who has coached five different NBA teams since 1998, is once again expected to be a candidate for teams making head coaching changes this offseason, according to Jordan Schultz of ESPN (Twitter link).

League sources tell Schultz that D’Antoni is receiving interest from all three teams that currently have head coaching vacancies — the Trail Blazers, Celtics, and Magic.

D’Antoni is currently an assistant on Steve Nash‘s staff in Brooklyn, and Schultz suggests the Nets may not grant interview requests for D’Antoni until after their season is over. Brooklyn is currently the championship favorite, meaning the club could be playing into mid-July — that timeline may dissuade D’Antoni’s potential suitors from making him a top target.

Still, D’Antoni has an impressive résumé that includes a 672-527 (.560) regular season record as the head coach of the Rockets, Lakers, Knicks, Suns, and Nuggets. He has a 54-56 (.491) career mark in the playoffs — his teams have won 10 postseason series, but have never appeared in the NBA Finals. The closest D’Antoni came to the Finals was in 2018 when the Rockets lost in seven games to the eventual-champion Warriors in the Western Conference Finals.

Even if Portland, Boston, and Orlando go in another direction with their respective head coaching hires, D’Antoni could have other options. For instance, the Pacers – who continue to mull Nate Bjogkren‘s future – were said to have interest a year ago and could renew that interest if they move on from Bjorkgren.

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2021 NBA Head Coaching Search Tracker

June 8th, 2021 at 9:16am CST by Luke Adams

With another regular season in the books, a handful of teams around the NBA are making head coaching changes in advance of the 2021/22 campaign.

In the space below, we’ll provide daily updates on the head coaching searches for each club that has yet to give anyone the permanent title. Some of these searches could extend well into the summer, so be sure to check back each day for the latest updates.

You’ll be able to access this page anytime under the “Hoops Rumors Features” menu on the right sidebar on our desktop site, or on the “Features” page in our mobile menu.

Updated 7-22-21 (2:40pm CT)

Active Searches:

None

Completed Searches:

Boston Celtics

  • New coach:
  • Previous coach:
  • Also reportedly considered:
    • Celtics assistant Jerome Allen (story)
    • Celtics assistant Scott Morrison (story)
    • Celtics assistant Jay Larranaga (story)
    • Celtics assistant Joe Mazzulla (story)
    • Clippers assistant Chauncey Billups (story)
    • Bucks assistant Darvin Ham (story)
    • Bucks assistant Charles Lee (story)
    • Mavericks assistant Jamahl Mosley (story)
    • Lakers assistant Jason Kidd (story)
    • Former Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce (story)
    • Sixers assistant Sam Cassell (story)
    • Duke women’s coach Kara Lawson (story)
    • Nets assistant Mike D’Antoni (story)

Despite a disappointing season in Boston, Stevens wasn’t expected to be in any danger of losing his job this spring. And technically, he didn’t lose his job — he actually received a promotion, as he was named the Celtics’ new president of basketball operations and led the search for his replacement.

He ultimately landed on Udoka, who has extensive experience as an assistant coach for the Nets, Sixers, and Spurs. Udoka was also a member of the Team USA staff at the 2019 World Cup, reportedly impressing a number of Celtics players at that event.

Dallas Mavericks

  • New coach:
  • Previous coach:
  • Also reportedly considered:
    • Mavericks assistant Jamahl Mosley (story)
    • Former Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts (story)

Carlisle’s resignation was just the latest bombshell in one of the most eventful off-the-court weeks in Mavericks history, following closely on the heels of Donnie Nelson‘s exit from the franchise. Carlisle had spent 13 years in Dallas and was the NBA’s third longest-tenured head coach at the time of his exit.

Replacing him will be Kidd, who played under Carlisle in Dallas from 2008-12. Carlisle actually endorsed Kidd for the job shortly before word broke that the Mavs were finalizing a deal with the former start point guard. The hope is that Kidd and current Mavs point guard Luka Doncic will be a great match and will benefit from the union.

Indiana Pacers

  • New coach:
  • Previous coach:
  • Also reportedly considered:
    • Former Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts (story)
    • Former Magic coach Steve Clifford (story)
    • G League Ignite coach Brian Shaw (story)

Bjorkgren lost his job as the Pacers’ head coach after just a year, reportedly due in large part to poor communication issues and a tendency to micro-manage. Indiana, seeking a more experienced, established head coach to replace a first-timer who didn’t work out, found their man in Carlisle, who has the 15th-most career wins among all NBA head coaches and also coached the Pacers from 2003-07.

Carlisle, who reportedly received a four-year, $29MM contract, will be tasked with helping to turn a veteran-heavy Pacers squad that missed the playoffs in 2021 into a club that can legitimately contend for a spot in the NBA Finals.

New Orleans Pelicans

  • New coach:
  • Previous coach:
  • Also reportedly considered:
    • Bucks assistant Charles Lee (story)
    • Pelicans assistant Fred Vinson (story)
    • Pelicans assistant Teresa Weatherspoon (story)
  • Withdrew from consideration:
    • Nets assistant Jacque Vaughn (story)

Van Gundy failed to connect with the young players on the Pelicans’ roster and failed to make good on his goal of improving the team’s defense, resulting in a short-lived stint as the head coach. New Orleans will replace him with Green and will have to hope the former Suns assistant is the right long-term choice, since the team wants to avoid subjecting its young stars to more turnover. Green will be Zion Williamson‘s third head coach in three years.

Orlando Magic

  • New coach:
  • Previous coach:
  • Also reportedly considered:
    • Spurs assistant Becky Hammon (story)
    • Nuggets associate head coach Wes Unseld Jr. (story)
    • Suns assistant Willie Green (story)
    • Bucks assistant Charles Lee (story)
    • Magic assistant Tyrone Corbin (story)
    • Magic assistant Pat Delany (story)
    • Magic assistant Steve Hetzel (story)
    • Former Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts (story)
    • Nets assistant Mike D’Antoni (story)
    • Former Warriors assistant Jarron Collins (story)
  • Received consideration before joining another team or withdrawing:

    • Lakers assistant Jason Kidd (story)
    • Nets assistant Ime Udoka (story)
    • Clippers assistant Chauncey Billups (story)
    • University of Memphis coach Penny Hardaway (story)

The Magic and Clifford reportedly discussed a contract extension before going their separate ways. Clifford apparently wasn’t ready to sign up for a protracted rebuilding process, so Orlando shifted its focus to a coach with a strong track record of player development who is willing to be patient with a young roster.

The Magic ultimately identified Mosley as their man following his exit from an assistant role in Dallas, where he worked closely with Luka Doncic in recent years. He reportedly signed a four-year contract with Orlando.

Portland Trail Blazers

  • New coach:
    • Chauncey Billups (story)
  • Previous coach:
  • Also reportedly considered:
    • Spurs assistant Becky Hammon (second interview)
    • Nets assistant Mike D’Antoni (story)
    • Spurs vice president of basketball operations Brent Barry (story)
    • South Carolina women’s coach Dawn Staley (story)
    • Celtics assistant Jerome Allen (story)
    • Former NBA coach Jeff Van Gundy (story)
  • Withdrew from consideration:
    • Lakers assistant Jason Kidd (story)

Long rumored to be on the hot seat if Portland didn’t make a deep playoff run this spring, Stotts was let go by the Blazers shortly after the team was knocked out of the postseason by Denver.

Initial reports stated that Damian Lillard‘s input would play a major part in the Blazers’ coaching hire, and the All-Star guard expressed public support for Kidd and Billups. However, Kidd subsequently withdrew his name from consideration, reportedly uncomfortable with the idea of pursuing the job following Lillard’s public endorsement. That left Billups as the frontrunner, and he ultimately beat out finalists D’Antoni and Hammon for the job.

The Blazers, who agreed to a five-year deal with Billups, faced some backlash due to a 1997 sexual assault case involving the former All-Star guard. However, the team reportedly investigated that incident and didn’t find anything they felt disqualified Billups from being offered the position.

Washington Wizards

  • New coach:
  • Previous coach:
  • Also received consideration:
    • Bucks assistant Darvin Ham (story)
    • Bucks assistant Charles Lee (story)
    • Celtics assistant Scott Morrison (story)
    • Sixers assistant Sam Cassell (story)
    • Hornets assistant Ronald Nored (story)
    • Heat assistant Chris Quinn (story)
    • Bulls assistant Chris Fleming (story)
    • Suns assistant Willie Green (story)
    • Suns assistant Kevin Young (story)
  • Received consideration before joining another team:
    • Mavericks assistant Jamahl Mosley (story)

The 2020/21 season was the final one in Brooks’ contract, so unlike most of the other coaches on this list, he wasn’t technically dismissed — he and the Wizards just ended up not negotiating a new contract.

Star guards Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal had a voice in the process to hire Brooks’ replacements, which focused on several experienced assistants and ultimately landed on Unseld. The former Nuggets associate head coach has an extensive résumé as an NBA assistant and is also the son of D.C. legend Wes Unseld Sr., making this union a homecoming for the Unseld Jr., who grew up in Maryland.

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