- Carlisle, who serves as president of the NBA Coaches Association, reached out to J.B. Bickerstaff after the Cavaliers fired him on Thursday, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Carlisle said Bickerstaff did “an amazing job” with a “culture makeover” in Cleveland, but all NBA coaches understand the realities of their jobs. “I have great respect for him. I’ve been in touch with him,” Carlisle said. “In our profession, no one likes it, but teams, ownership, they can hire and fire who they want to. Our business has got to be a very resilient one. And he’s been through a lot in his career and he’s grown so much as a coach. J.B. will be fine and he certainly will be a head coach again, sooner than later.”
Discussing the Cavaliers‘ head coaching search this week on an episode of the No Cap Room podcast (YouTube link), Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports described Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson as the candidate who “seems to be the leader in the clubhouse right now.” Atkinson has also been linked to another coaching search this spring, according to Fischer.
“Kenny Atkinson was definitely a name involved in the Wizards‘ search,” Fischer said. “… There was definitely expectation around the league that Kenny’s next job would be one of those more developmental teams on the up-and-up, which in theory Cleveland still kind of is, but there are obvious expectations there now. So that would be a much different circumstance – probably a better circumstance, I would say – for Kenny Atkinson, to shed that ‘I’m a rebuild guy’ label.”
Fischer confirms that James Borrego of the Pelicans and Johnnie Bryant of the Knicks are a couple more assistant coaches who are candidates for the Cavaliers’ job, citing Bryant’s connection to Donovan Mitchell dating back to their time in Utah together.
According to Fischer, former Sacramento head coach Dave Joerger is another candidate who will receive consideration from Cleveland. Joerger was hired by the Bucks as an assistant coach after Doc Rivers joined the team earlier this year.
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Magic forward Franz Wagner won’t soon forget his performance in Orlando’s Game 7 first-round loss to Cleveland (six points on 1-of-15 shooting), but his goal is to turn it into a learning experience rather than beating himself up about it, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. “That’s going to stick with me all summer,” Wagner said. “Hopefully, I can use it as motivation and fuel that the right way.” As Beede observes, Wagner will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason, and while the Magic will likely look to lock him up, it remains to be seen whether the team is prepared to go up to the max to get something done before the 22-year-old’s fourth NBA season.
- In a 2024 draft class considered to lack star power, whichever player is selected with the No. 1 overall pick will benefit from not being asked to single-handedly turn a franchise around. As Marc J. Spears of ESPN pointed out on the Hawks Report podcast (link via Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution), the No. 1 pick will be joining a Hawks roster that features more talent than a typical club drafting in that spot. Even if Atlanta trades one of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray this offseason, the team would still have one former All-Star in its backcourt, along with promising 22-year-old Jalen Johnson at forward.
- The WNBA’s Board of Governors unanimously voted this week to approve an expansion franchise for Toronto, while the NBA’s Board of Governors voted 29-1 in favor of the move, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Unsurprisingly, as Wojnarowski details, the only opposing vote belonged to the Knicks, who sued the Raptors last season and remain engaged in a legal battle with their Atlantic rivals. Raptors chairman Larry Tanenbaum is spearheading Toronto’s new WNBA franchise.
Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen‘s injury status in the postseason was a source of controversy, as he was ruled questionable with a rib contusion for eight straight games but didn’t appear in any of them. A report following the Cavs’ elimination indicated that some people in the organization were frustrated Allen didn’t push harder to suit up. As Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor writes, Marcus Morris essentially confirmed as much during a recent appearance on FanDuel’s Run it Back show (Twitter video link).
“You don’t have an option to rehab but you have an option to play,” Morris said. “I can’t speak on how bad it was for Jarrett. If you put me in that same position, do I play? Yes. I can’t say how his body felt. Orlando was a very physical series, so I wasn’t surprised he didn’t come back in that one. He got hit one more time and it could have been different. A little bit surprised about the Boston one. I think Boston is not as physical, more just talented and skillful guys.”
However, the exact definition of Allen’s injury was unclear until Friday, when general manager Koby Altman told reporters that Allen suffered a “pierced” rib. The injury has been described as a bruise or contusion until that point.
NBA insider Marc Stein wrote in a recent Substack post that fellow insider Chris Haynes reported Allen’s reluctance to take a pain-killing injection for his rib stemmed from an incident in the NFL. In 2020, then-Chargers quarterback Tyrod Taylor suffered a punctured lung after receiving such an injection.
We have more from the Central Division:
- Knicks associate head coach Johnnie Bryant is one of the coaches the Cavaliers will consider for their now-vacant head coaching position, according to SNY’s Ian Begley. Bryant has been in his role the past four seasons, lining up with the most successful New York seasons in recent history. Bryant joins James Borrego and Kenny Atkinson as reported candidates. The Knicks would have to give Cleveland permission to interview Bryant.
- After joining the Pistons, new head of basketball operations Trajan Langdon has some major decisions to make soon about how much of Detroit’s rebuild can be salvaged, says Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press (subscription required). Langdon first must decide on general manager Troy Weaver and head coach Monty Williams, the latter of whom Sankofa reports ownership is willing to move off of despite the $67.5MM guaranteed he has remaining on his contract. After that, it’s a matter of sorting through young players on the roster. As Sankofa writes, historically bad teams don’t often keep much of the roster that failed to produce, usually holding on to one or two players over time. Time is ticking to put a competitive team on the floor, Sankofa writes, and Langdon might be best suited to gut the roster.
- In order to improve on their worst season ever, the Pistons will need to improve across the board. James L. Edwards III of The Athletic highlights four archetypes of players Detroit needs to hone on in the offseason, including three-and-D players, perimeter defenders, rim protectors and high-IQ pieces.
- The Bucks have largely maintained an elite defense over the course of their contention years, but that changed this season as they plummeted to the middle of the pack in that category, Eric Nehm of The Athletic writes. They improved during the change from Adrian Griffin to Doc Rivers, but in order to get back to contention, they’ll need to continue to be better. To start, Brook Lopez will need to maintain his elite rim protection, though he is getting older (36). Outside of that, Nehm writes they’ll need better guard defense and should look to improve in transition.
After previously reporting for The Athletic that people around the league expect Donovan Mitchell to sign an extension with the Cavaliers, Shams Charania reiterated on Thursday that Cleveland is optimistic about that outcome (Twitter video link via FanDuel’s Run It Back Show). That aligns with what president of basketball operations Koby Altman said on Friday about the star guard.
That same report also stated that if Mitchell inks an extension, Darius Garland‘s agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, “would have a conversation with Cavs officials on potentially finding a new home for the one-time All-Star.”
In an interview with Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report, Paul didn’t exactly refute that rumor.
“As of now, there’s nothing to discuss on that,” Paul said as part of a larger quote. “My job is to evaluate every situation for every guy that we as a company represent. I’m a representative of players, and I help advise them on business decisions. It’s a lot more to it than just negotiating a contract after four years. Some guys choose to do that and only focus on that. I’m different. I try to look at everything.
“You try to position guys a certain way to continue to have value. … And so these guys have to make sure they understand that having the talent they have, and the production, allows them to maintain value.”
When asked about potentially splitting up the backcourt tandem, Altman said, “I don’t see why we should” (Twitter link via Danny Cunningham of Cleveland Magazine).
Here’s more on the Cavs:
- Veteran forward Marcus Morris was only with the Cavaliers for about two months, but he admits he saw signs of disconnect between the team and J.B. Bickerstaff, he said on Run It Back (Twitter video links). Bickerstaff was fired on Thursday after leading the Cavs to the second round of the playoffs. The 34-year-old unrestricted free agent also said he expects Mitchell to stay with the Cavs. “I think Cleveland is a great place for (Mitchell)…I would be highly surprised if he left.”
- Jason Lloyd of The Athletic argues that Bickerstaff deserved to stay on the job for another season, writing that the 45-year-old “consistently had his players’ backs, even when they didn’t have his.” Lloyd also contends that Altman didn’t want to fire Bickerstaff but felt forced to due to Mitchell’s contract situation — the five-time All-Star was one of the players who reportedly questioned the coach’s “tactics and strategies.”
- Appearing on NBA Today (YouTube link), ESPN’s Brian Windhorst agreed with Lloyd about Altman’s decision, pointing out that there’s an “extreme closeness” between the Bickerstaff family and Altman. J.B.’s father Bernie Bickerstaff has been a longtime advisor to the Cavs and Altman.
- According to Windhorst, Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori is a potential name to watch in the Cavaliers’ coaching search. The Cavs’ vacancy may be more attractive than normal due the strength of the Western Conference and perceived weakness of the East — Windhorst has heard player agents are trying to steer their clients to the East too.
- In an Insider-only story, ESPN’s Bobby Marks outlines the options Mitchell and the Cavs will have this offseason. Marks also explores hypothetical trades from teams that would have interest in Mitchell if he becomes available.
Speaking to the media on Friday, Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman discussed the team’s dismissal of J.B. Bickerstaff, the process of hiring a new head coach, and Donovan Mitchell‘s future, among other topics.
While rumors have circulated that the Cavs may explore shaking up their core four of Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, Altman says he doesn’t envision major changes on the horizon, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required).
“I don’t see big major sweeping changes. I just don’t,” Altman said. “Like I said, more data speaks to [how] this works than it doesn’t. You can’t win 99 games over the regular season, make it to a conference semis and be like, ‘This doesn’t work.’ Again, this is just year two of this iteration of this core being together and I have a lot of excitement for the future for this group and belief in this group. The other piece that the outside doesn’t see is you meet with every player and they have a really strong belief in the core of the group and their fellow teammates. They think they can win here. There’s a lot of camaraderie and belief and they like each other and so it’s hard for me to glean anything other than how do we pour more into the group that we have?
“Sure, there’s some moves you can make around the periphery, but what are the levers we can pull? What can we tighten up? Where’s our upside? Where’s the low hanging fruit in-house to elevate this thing? … There’s a lot more in-house than I need to find out outside of this building. There’s a lot of belief in our players and each other in this organization, and so I don’t see the need to make sweeping changes.”
Here’s more from Altman’s media session:
- While Atlman praised Bickerstaff and called it a “tremendously difficult decision” to fire him, he said the team needs a new leader to take it where it wants to go. “Someone with a new approach, someone with a different voice, a fresh set of eyes to help us move forward,” Altman said, per Tom Withers of The Associated Press. “We’ve accomplished a lot in the last few years, getting to a conference semifinal, and we don’t want to be complacent. … We feel we’re not far off.”
- According to Withers, Altman said he hasn’t compiled a list of coaching candidates yet, and the front office won’t begin that process until next week. However, he did say the new coach would have to meet “very highly specific” criteria. Altman added that the search could last over a month, tweets Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. “We’d love to have a coach in place for the draft,” he said. “I think that’d probably be too aggressive a timeline. It’s when we come up with the right decision…and if it has to drag on a little longer, it does.”
- Altman said owner Dan Gilbert could end up having a “big influence” on whichever coach gets hired, but he won’t be involved in the process until the front office has compiled its list of finalists, per Fedor.
- Regarding Mitchell, who will be eligible for a four-year extension this summer, Altman said his exit meeting with the star guard left him feeling encouraged, according to Fedor. “I’ll say that my exit interview with him was really good in that he was talking about the future and how excited he was about the team, the organization,” Altman said. “This is a player that has had two of the best years of his career here, has had a lot of success here, understands the infrastructure. I think he has a lot of trust in what we’re doing and understands that our goal is to win a championship. … From his own words, he says he’s happy here. He likes it here. He’s always been very genuine. He’s always been very intentional. He’s been a great teammate. We have to take all that at face value and say, ‘OK, we feel good about where we are with Donovan.’ Obviously, things could change. In terms of his contract future, it’s nothing we can talk about until July.”
With Joel Embiid at center and Tyrese Maxey heading up their backcourt, the Sixers will enter this offseason with significant cap room and a desire to fill the gap between their two incumbent stars with an elite two-way wing, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. According to Fischer, Philadelphia views its opportunity as something similar to the one Golden State had in 2016, when a huge single-year cap spike allowed the Warriors to create the room to add Kevin Durant to a core that already featured Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green.
Whether the 76ers will be able to add a player anywhere near Durant’s level is unclear. Paul George – who has been on Daryl Morey‘s radar since he worked in Houston’s front office, per Fischer – has frequently been cited as the most logical target for the club, but the Clippers remain hopeful they’ll be able to lock up the star forward to a new contract.
As Fischer writes, there are two major factors worth keeping an eye on in regard to George’s situation. One is a belief from rival teams and agents that the Clippers aren’t inclined to commit guaranteed money beyond the three-year window that begins in 2024/25. If that’s the case, a four-year offer from the Sixers or another club could appeal to George.
The second consideration to monitor is whether the Clippers’ ability to give George a no-trade clause could be a difference-maker in negotiations. That would only be an option if George turns down his player option and reaches free agency, but it’s something Philadelphia wouldn’t be able to offer, since a player must have spent at least four years with a team to qualify for a no-trade clause.
In considering other potential suitors for George, Fischer mentions the Magic and the Pacers, though he acknowledges that chatter about the possibility of George returning to Indiana predated the team’s acquisition of Pascal Siakam. The Knicks and Heat are among the other teams expected to go star-hunting, Fischer notes.
For what it’s worth, multiple player agents suggested to Fischer that they’d advise their clients to consider Embiid’s injury history and inconsistent playoff availability before committing to Philadelphia in free agency.
Here’s more from Fischer:
- The Sixers are willing to sacrifice draft capital and commit future money in order to chase a title next season, Fischer states. If Philadelphia is unable to land an impact player this offseason, the team will likely focus on shorter-term commitments with little to no guaranteed money beyond this season in order to retain flexibility for when another star becomes available. Sources tell Yahoo Sports that the 76ers “took note” of the two-year, $45MM deal the Pacers completed with Bruce Brown last summer, which was only guaranteed for one year and was ultimately used to accommodate the Siakam trade. Warriors swingman Thompson and Nuggets wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope would be among Philadelphia’s potential free agent targets for similar one-plus-one deals, Fischer reports.
- The Sixers would be one of the potential suitors for Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell if he’s made available this offseason, but Cleveland has expressed confidence about extending Mitchell, according to Fischer, who says that firing J.B. Bickerstaff is widely viewed as a move toward the team keeping Mitchell long-term.
- Discussing other possible Sixers trade or free agency targets, Fischer says there’s been no indication from league personnel that LeBron James is seriously considering leaving the Lakers. League executives also believe that Jimmy Butler – who may be the player Morey tried to acquire most often in Houston – will stay with the Heat, Fischer continues. Bulls guard Zach LaVine is another possibility for Philadelphia, but likely only if Chicago or another team is willing to attach draft assets to dump salary, Fischer adds.
- Kyle Kuzma is expected to be back on the trade block this summer, Fischer writes, though he cautions that the Wizards‘ asking price at this year’s trade deadline was too high for most interested suitors.
- While rival executives around the NBA have praised the Celtics and Timberwolves for the rosters they’ve built, many of those execs also believe that tax apron concerns could result in those teams being unable to keep all their core pieces over the long term, per Fischer.
The Hawks won the draft lottery a couple weeks ago, jumping all the way up from No. 10 in the pre-lottery order to No. 1.
Atlanta is “increasingly expected” to select either Alexandre Sarr or Zaccharie Risacher with the top overall pick, according to veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein (Substack link).
Both French prospects turned 19 years old last month, but they took different professional pathways in 2023/24. Big man Sarr played for the Perth Wildcats of Australia’s National Basketball League, while 3-and-D forward Risacher has been playing for JL Bourg in France’s top basketball league, LNB Élite (previously known as LNB Pro A).
Risacher is No. 1 on ESPN’s best available list, while Sarr is No. 2.
It may not occur before the draft gets underway on June 26, but Stein continues to hear the Hawks are interested in adding a “seasoned personnel executive” to their front office, which is led by GM Landry Fields.
Here’s more from Stein’s latest article:
- Warriors point guard Chris Paul‘s $30MM salary for 2024/25 is non-guaranteed. Sources tell Stein Golden State is currently weighing its options on what to do with Paul. One choice would be pushing back his June 28 early salary guarantee date into July, but that would require Paul’s consent, which isn’t a given. If both sides agree, that would give the Warriors more time to explore trades, Stein adds.
- If Paul hits the open market as a free agent, the Spurs and Lakers “keep coming up as potential suitors” for the future Hall-of-Famer, Stein reports. As Stein writes, Paul is close with Lakers superstar LeBron James and his family lives in Los Angeles, so there are obvious connections to the team and area.
- Could the Lakers‘ slow-moving head coaching search be accelerated by the Cavaliers‘ recent firing of J.B. Bickerstaff? Stein explores that question, writing that L.A. may face some competition for candidates like Kenny Atkinson and James Borrego, as previously reported. Celtics assistant Sam Cassell, one of the “initial leading targets” in L.A.’s search, is another name to watch for the Cavs, according to Stein.
- Wizards interim head coach Brian Keefe is viewed as the frontrunner to land the full-time job in Washington, per Stein. That echoes previous reporting from The Athletic.
9:53am: The Cavaliers have confirmed Bickerstaff’s dismissal (Twitter link).
9:27am: The Cavaliers have fired head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson and Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego are expected to be among candidates for the job, Charania adds.
Despite the fact Cleveland advanced out of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, Bickerstaff’s dismissal doesn’t come as a surprise. A report from The Athletic last week indicated Bickerstaff’s job was in “serious jeopardy.”
That report indicated that star guard Donovan Mitchell, who is eligible for a four-year extension this offseason, “did not have great confidence in Bickerstaff” throughout the season, and he was “not alone.” It also suggested that a number of players privately and publicly questioned the 45-year-old’s “strategies, game management, practice habits and accountability measures” during the course of the season.
Another incident in the report spoke of how president of basketball operations Koby Altman “admonished Bickerstaff in front of his entire staff” after he played Mitchell heavy minutes in a December overtime victory with two other starters already sidelined by injuries.
Bickerstaff said after his team was eliminated for the postseason that he wanted to return and considered this season an improvement.
“To win a round in the playoffs isn’t easy,” he said. “I thought we faced a tough challenge in that first round, obviously, and to be able to go to seven games and win it showed a ton of growth. I think the play of our guys continued to show their growth. You guys will judge what success looks like. I think we accomplished what we were trying to accomplish but coming up short of a goal of obviously winning a championship.”
The Cavs will begin an immediate search for Bickerstaff’s replacement, with Altman and general manager Mike Gansey formulating a list that is expected to include coaches with head-coaching experience and potential first-timers, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reports.
According to Fedor, the Cavs considered making a coaching change during the first month of the season after they got off to a slow start.
Despite the supposed internal turmoil, there’s reportedly growing optimism that Mitchell will sign an extension this offseason. Whether a coaching change impacts that in any way remains to be seen.
Bickerstaff became the Cavaliers’ head coach in February 2020 after John Beilein‘s brief stay in the NBA. The Cavaliers went 22-50 in his first full season as head coach and doubled that win total in a full 82-game season in 2021/22.
The Cavs racked up 51 regular season wins in 2022/23 but were bounced by the Knicks in the opening round of the playoffs. Cleveland won 48 games this season and defeated Orlando in the opening round but got eliminated in five games by top-seeded Boston in the second round. Mitchell missed the last two games due to a calf injury and center Jarrett Allen sat out the entire series with a rib injury.
- The Cavaliers may give serious consideration to breaking up their big-man tandem of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen this summer, suggests Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscriber only). The team has believed Mobley would eventually develop into a full-time center since he was drafted in 2021, according to Fedor, who adds that the two big men often appear to be in each other’s way on offense. Fedor believes the Cavs might be ready to part with Allen and maybe Donovan Mitchell or Darius Garland for an upgrade at the wing.
The All-NBA teams have been announced for the 2023/24 season (Twitter link).
A total of 99 media members voted on the honors, with players receiving five points for a First Team vote, three points for a Second Team vote and one point for a Third Team vote. This year’s All-NBA teams are as follows:
First Team
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder (495 points)- Nikola Jokic, Nuggets (495)
- Luka Doncic, Mavericks (493)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks (473)
- Jayson Tatum, Celtics (427)
Second Team
- Jalen Brunson, Knicks (368)
- Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves (285)
- Kevin Durant, Suns (274)
- Kawhi Leonard, Clippers (242)
- Anthony Davis, Lakers (230)
Third Team
- LeBron James, Lakers (164)
- Stephen Curry, Warriors (117)
- Domantas Sabonis, Kings (104)
- Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers (75)
- Devin Booker, Suns (70)
Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic were the only two unanimous First Team selections, receiving 99 of 99 possible votes. Doncic earned 98 First Team votes but was named to the Second Team on one ballot. Antetokounmpo (88), Tatum (65), Brunson (37), Edwards (3), and Durant (2) were the only other players to receive multiple First Team votes.
Others receiving votes and their point totals are the Celtics‘ Jaylen Brown (50), the Clippers‘ Paul George (16), the Sixers‘ Tyrese Maxey (16), the Timberwolves‘ Rudy Gobert (12), the Spurs‘ Victor Wembanyama (11), the Pelicans‘ Zion Williamson (11), the Magic’s Paolo Banchero (10), the Kings‘ De’Aaron Fox (9) the Heat’s Bam Adebayo (7) and the Bulls‘ DeMar DeRozan (1).
This is the first season that a minimum number of games was required to qualify for most postseason awards under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. Among the stars who might have received All-NBA consideration if they had reached the 65-game threshold are Sixers center Joel Embiid, who was the 2023 MVP, along with Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, Knicks forward Julius Randle and Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis.
This was also the first season that voting for the All-NBA team was positionless, though that didn’t have a huge impact on the results, as the top two teams still feature two guards, a pair of forwards, and a center. The Third Team is made up a center, three guards, and just one forward.
Wembanyama, who received two votes for the Second Team and five for the Third Team, was the only rookie named on any of the ballots. Earlier this week, he became the first rookie to earn a spot on an All-Defensive First Team.
The Lakers with Davis and James and the Suns with Durant and Booker were the only teams to have multiple players honored. They were both eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
Several players became eligible for salary increases or earned a bonus by achieving All-NBA honors. Read more here.