Cleveland Cavaliers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Buckner, Giannis, Pacers Workout, Pacers Offseason

June 11th, 2024 at 5:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Greg Buckner is expected to join Doc Rivers’ staff with the Bucks, Marc Stein tweets. Buckner was the Cavaliers‘ associate head coach under J.B. Bickerstaff. He had been on Cleveland’s staff since 2020. Previously, Bucker was an assistant with the Grizzlies (2017-19). Former Lakers coach Darvin Ham has also made a commitment to join Rivers’ staff.

We have more from the Central Division:

The Bucks didn’t play Giannis Antetokounmpo at center very often this season, but that has to change, Eric Nehm of The Athletic opines in his latest mailbag. While the team’s superstar doesn’t want to play the position regularly, there’s strong evidence that lineups featuring Antetokounmpo in the middle often produce positive results.
Jack Gohlke, who became a folk hero when he lifted Oakland to a huge NCAA Tournament upset of Kentucky, will be among six prospects working out for the Pacers on Wednesday, the team tweets. Joining the 3-point specialist will be Michigan State’s Tyson Walker, TCU’s Emanuel Miller, UC-Santa Barbara’s Ajay Mitchell, Belgium’s Thijs de Ridder and China’s Yongxi Cui.
In a subscriber-only story, The Indianapolis Star’s Dustin Dopirak has seven suggestions that would make for a successful Pacers offseason. Dopirak’s list starts with re-signing Pascal Siakam and also includes trying to find a shooter at a good price and extending both T.J. McConnell and Andrew Nembhard.

Ware, Bona Come In For Pre-Draft Workout

June 10th, 2024 at 7:09pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Adem Bona (UCLA), Ta’Lon Cooper (South Carolina), Tyler Thomas (Hofstra) and Kel’el Ware (Indiana) visited the Cavaliers on Monday in a pre-draft workout, Adam Zagoria tweets. Big men Ware and Bona are considered potential first-rounders. Ware is currently rated No. 24 overall on ESPN’s Best Available list while Bona is ranked at No. 37. The Cavaliers currently hold the No. 20 pick.
Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego, still a candidate for the Lakers’ head coaching job, is expected to interview for the Cavaliers head coaching position early this week, Brian Windhorst of ESPN reports. Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson is also scheduled for a visit.
Speaking of the Cavaliers, they could have a very intriguing offseason if they decide to break up their backcourt duo of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell or their frontcourt pairing of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Keith Smith delves into those topics, among others, in his offseason preview for Spotrac.

Dan Hurley's Decision With Lakers Shouldn't Affect Cavaliers

June 10th, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Speaking on the Wine and Gold podcast, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com said he doesn’t expect Dan Hurley‘s decision on the Lakers‘ coaching job to impact the Cavaliers‘ search. Fedor considers James Borrego to be the current front-runner in Cleveland, and he speculates L.A. will turn to J.J. Redick if Hurley declines the team’s offer.

How Much Are The Cavs Willing To Pay Okoro?

June 8th, 2024 at 11:19am CST by Rory Maher

On the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, Ethan Sands and Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com discussed the upcoming restricted free agency of Cavaliers wing Isaac Okoro. While the 23-year-old is a stout defender and made strides with his shot during the regular season (a career-high 39.1% on three-pointers), Okoro also struggled offensively in the playoffs. Sands and Fedor suggest the Cavs could be open to giving Okoro a deal up to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, but might not go beyond that due to future cap concerns.

2024 NBA Draft Picks By Team

June 7th, 2024 at 6:20pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs and Trail Blazers were among the winners on last month’s draft lottery day, with the results on May 12 ensuring that both teams would have a pair of lottery picks in 2024. San Antonio received Toronto’s top-six protected first-rounder when it dropped to No. 8, while Portland was assured of receiving Golden State’s top-four protected first-rounder when it remained at No. 14. Both clubs’ own picks are in the top seven.

Besides being the only NBA teams to control two lottery picks this year, San Antonio and Portland have something else in common — they’re the only two clubs that own more than three total 2024 draft picks. In addition to No. 4 and No. 8, the Spurs have Nos. 35 and 48, while Portland has a pair of early second-rounders (Nos. 34 and 40) to go with its No. 7 and No. 14 picks.

Many of this year’s draft picks have changed hands at some point, with only 24 of 58 total selections held by their original owner, but they’re still a little more evenly distributed than usual. A year ago, 11 teams controlled three or more picks at this time, whereas this year only seven clubs hold more than two picks apiece.

In addition to those seven teams with three or more picks, 13 more clubs own a pair of draft selections, while another nine control one apiece. That leaves just a single NBA team without a draft pick this year: the Nets. Brooklyn traded both of its 2024 picks back in 2021, sending out its first-rounder in a package for James Harden and including its second-rounder later that year in a Sekou Doumbouya salary dump. The Nets could still trade into this draft, but for now they’re the only team on track to sit it out.

To present a clearer picture of which teams are most – and least – stocked with picks for the 2024 NBA draft, we’ve rounded up all 58 selections by team in the space below. Let’s dive in…

Teams with more than two picks:

San Antonio Spurs (4): 4, 8, 35, 48
Portland Trail Blazers (4): 7, 14, 34, 40
Washington Wizards (3): 2, 26, 51
Memphis Grizzlies (3): 9, 39, 57
Utah Jazz (3): 10, 29, 32
New York Knicks (3): 24, 25, 38
Indiana Pacers (3): 36, 49, 50

Teams with two picks:

Houston Rockets: 3, 44
Detroit Pistons: 5, 53
Charlotte Hornets: 6, 42
Sacramento Kings: 13, 45
Miami Heat: 15, 43
Philadelphia 76ers: 16, 41
Los Angeles Lakers: 17, 55
Orlando Magic: 18, 47
Toronto Raptors: 19, 31
Milwaukee Bucks: 23, 33
Minnesota Timberwolves: 27, 37
Denver Nuggets: 28, 56
Boston Celtics: 30, 54

Teams with one pick:

Atlanta Hawks: 1
Chicago Bulls: 11
Oklahoma City Thunder: 12
Cleveland Cavaliers: 20
New Orleans Pelicans: 21
Phoenix Suns: 22
Los Angeles Clippers: 46
Golden State Warriors: 52
Dallas Mavericks: 58

Teams with no picks:

Brooklyn Nets

Stein’s Latest: Lakers’ Coaching Search, Nembhard, Siakam, Mitchell

June 5th, 2024 at 8:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

J.J. Redick and James Borrego have emerged as the top two names in the Lakers‘ coaching search, but there’s increased speculation about Monty Williams if the Pistons let him go, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack column (subscription required). Detroit is going through an organizational shakeup after Trajan Langdon took over as head of basketball operations, and it’s possible that Williams could be replaced along with general manager Troy Weaver, even though Williams still has five years remaining on the $78MM contract he signed last summer.

Stein points out that the Lakers have pursued Williams before. Prior to hiring Frank Vogel in 2019, L.A. first reached out to Tyronn Lue, then turned to Williams after negotiations with Lue fell apart. Williams chose an offer from the Suns over the Lakers.

Signs still point to Redick as the favorite to be the next head coach, with the Lakers hoping to add Borrego as an assistant. However, Stein hears skepticism around the league that the Pelicans would agree to release their associate head coach from his contract for a lateral move.

There could be a small source of conflict if Redick is the selection, Stein adds, noting that Redick, who’s an awards voter due to his role as a broadcaster with ESPN, didn’t put Anthony Davis on his ballot for first or second team All-Defense honors. Davis finished fourth in the DPOY voting.

Stein shares more inside information from around the league:

The Pacers‘ Andrew Nembhard raised his value with a stellar postseason performance and some teams are now convinced that he can be a successful lead guard, sources tell Stein. That could eventually result in offers greater than what Indiana can give him in an extension this summer. Nembhard is only owed $2MM next season, so a four-year extension that replaces his 2025/26 team option would be worth about $75MM. Without an extension, the Pacers could make Nembhard a restricted free agent next summer by turning down their option for ’25/26 and issuing a qualifying offer. That would allow them to match any offer he gets on the open market.
Pacers forward Pascal Siakam is still considering whether to represent Cameroon in an Olympic qualifying tournament next month, Stein adds. One complication is that Siakam is expected to verbally commit to a new contract with Indiana before the start of free agency on June 30. However, the moratorium prevents that deal from being finalized until July 6, which is after the start of the international competition. Siakam may be reluctant to risk injury before his new deal is official.
A source tells Stein that the Cavaliers have reasons to be optimistic about their chances of an offseason extension with Donovan Mitchell. There has been repeated speculation that Mitchell might be moved this summer if he doesn’t make a long-term commitment.

Cavs Receive Permission To Interview David Adelman

June 4th, 2024 at 12:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers have requested and received permission to meet with Nuggets assistant David Adelman about their head coaching vacancy, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Adelman, 43, is Michael Malone‘s top assistant in Denver and has served as acting head coach in a handful of instances when Malone was unavailable. He has drawn praise from Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon for his coaching acumen.

The son of longtime NBA head coach Rick Adelman, David began his coaching career at the high school level before being hired by the Timberwolves in 2011. He was in Minnesota for five seasons, spent the 2016/17 campaign with Orlando, and arrived in Denver in 2017.

Adelman has received head coaching consideration from the Lakers and Hornets this offseason after having previously interviewed with the Raptors when they were seeking a head coach last spring.

As our head coaching search tracker shows, Adelman is the sixth candidate reported to be interviewing with the Cavaliers, who are conducting a head coaching search after parting ways with J.B. Bickerstaff. Cleveland’s other interviewees include Kenny Atkinson, James Borrego, Johnnie Bryant, Micah Nori, and Chris Quinn.

A recent report stated that the Cavs could end up talking to upwards of about 10 candidates, so additional updates on contenders for the job could still be forthcoming. Former NBA head coach and current Bucks assistant Dave Joerger is expected to meet with the team, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who says Mavericks assistant Alex Jensen could get an interview too.

The Cavs have done plenty of background work on Terry Stotts, but one source describes him as a long shot for the job, says Fedor. Sources also tell Cleveland.com that the club isn’t expected to talk to Frank Vogel, who was dismissed last month by the Suns.

Cavs Granted Permission To Interview Wolves’ Micah Nori

June 3rd, 2024 at 1:33pm CST by Rory Maher

The Cavaliers been granted permission to interview Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori for their head coaching vacancy, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

An Ohio native, Nori also interviewed for the Lakers’ head coaching job, Wojnarowski notes. The veteran assistant coach was first linked to Cleveland by Wojnarowski’s ESPN colleague Brian Windhorst.

Nori, 50, spent several years as a scout with Toronto before becoming an assistant coach with the Raptors in 2009. He was also an assistant with Sacramento, Denver and Detroit before joining Minnesota in 2021.

Known for his humor, wit and intelligence, Nori patrolled the sidelines for the Wolves and made many in-game decisions this postseason after head coach Chris Finch sustained a major knee injury in the team’s first-round victory over Phoenix. Nori has drawn high praise from stars like Anthony Edwards and Nikola Jokic.

As our tracker shows, Nori is at least the fifth candidate to interview for the Cavs’ lead coaching job, joining Kenny Atkinson (Golden State), James Borrego (New Orleans), Johnny Bryant (New York) and Chris Quinn (Miami). Of the five, only Atkinson and Borrego have previous NBA head coaching experience (with Brooklyn and Charlotte, respectively).

Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reported last week that the Cavaliers could meet with up to 10 candidates. Multiple reports have indicated that Atkinson is viewed as the frontrunner for the job after J.B. Bickerstaff was dismissed last month. Cleveland advanced to the second round of the playoffs in 2023/24, ultimately losing to Boston in five games.

Southwest Notes: Ingram, Pelicans, Topic, Clingan

June 1st, 2024 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

If the Pelicans decide to trade Brandon Ingram, they need to get a play-making guard in return, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. Clark points out that Ingram has led the team in assists the past two years, including 5.7 in 64 games this season. With no clear choice to set up the offense, Clark believes New Orleans will have to insist on a creator in any Ingram deal.

Zion Williamson has helped in that area, but Clark notes that his susceptibility to injury — and the inability of the Pelicans’ offense to function without him — makes it too risky to not have a strong lead guard. The offense was among the NBA’s worst after Williamson’s hamstring injury last season, Clark adds, and his absence in this year’s playoffs left the team unable to top 92 points in any game while being swept in the first round.

The Pelicans had trade talks with the Hawks and Cavaliers before the February deadline, according to Clark, who expects negotiations to resume this summer. There are rumors that Atlanta wants to break up its Trae Young–Dejounte Murray backcourt, while Cleveland might be open to parting with Darius Garland if Donovan Mitchell agrees to an extension. Any of those players could be the basis for an Ingram deal.

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

In a separate story, Clark examines the possibility that the Pelicans will take a center in this year’s draft. New Orleans will have the 21st selection after deferring a pick from the Lakers until next year. Clark views Baylor’s Yves Missi, Indiana’s Kel’el Ware and Dayton’s DaRon Holmes as viable big man options at that stage of the draft.
Nikola Topic could be the ideal point guard to team with Victor Wembanyama, Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News states in a Spurs draft preview. Topic is considered the best passer in the draft, especially out of the pick and roll, and at 6’6″ he would bring some needed size to San Antonio’s backcourt. On the downside, he has never shot better than 30% from three-point range in a season and has hurt his right knee twice since January. If the Spurs opt for Topic with the fourth pick, McDonald expects them to target a shooter at No. 8.
Michael Shapiro of The Houston Chronicle looks at how Donovan Clingan might fit alongside Alperen Sengun if the Rockets take the Connecticut center with the third pick. Clingan would bring a much stronger defensive presence in the middle, but there are questions about whether he or Sengun can ever space the floor well enough to make the pairing work.

Cavs To Interview Johnnie Bryant, Chris Quinn For Head Coaching Job

May 31st, 2024 at 4:10pm CST by Luke Adams

4:10pm: Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com confirms the Cavaliers have been granted permission to interview Bryant and Quinn. Sources tell Fedor that Cleveland could interview about 10 candidates for the head coaching vacancy, describing it as an “extensive process that may take weeks before completion.” One rival executive views Atkinson as the frontrunner for the position, Fedor adds.

3:40pm: After securing permission to meet with Kenny Atkinson and James Borrego about their head coaching opening, the Cavaliers have been given the green light to speak to two more NBA assistants, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that Cleveland will interview Knicks assistant Johnnie Bryant and Heat assistant Chris Quinn.

Multiple reports had stated that the Cavs were interested in Bryant, so it comes as no surprise that Cleveland asked for and received permission to meet with him. Bryant was an assistant coach with the Jazz from 2014-20 before joining the Knicks’ staff, overlapping with Cavs star Donovan Mitchell in Utah from 2017-20. Bryant also interviewed for the Jazz’s job back in 2022 before the team hired Will Hardy.

Quinn has been connected to a handful of head coaching vacancies this offseason, but wasn’t hired by Brooklyn, Charlotte, or Washington and doesn’t appear to be a frontrunner in the Lakers’ search. The veteran assistant and former NBA player has long been one of Erik Spoelstra‘s top lieutenants, having been with the Heat since 2014.

A recent report indicated that the Heat are working on a new deal for Quinn, with Spoelstra looking to keep his coaching staff intact, so if he doesn’t end up being the Cavs’ or Lakers’ top choice, he’ll almost certainly continue on in his role as Miami’s lead assistant.

In addition to the four candidates they’ve been granted permission to speak to so far, the Cavaliers have also been linked to Dave Joerger, Micah Nori, and Terry Stotts as they seek a replacement for J.B. Bickerstaff. With the team apparently in the process of scheduling and beginning its first round of interviews, we should know soon whether those coaches – or others – will formally meet with the team.