- Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said today that he’s been reaching out to teams with head coaching vacancies to advocate for his assistant coach Wes Unseld Jr. (Twitter link via Mike Singer of The Athletic). Unseld has been bypassed in past coaching searches, but Malone said he believes that’s “going to change this summer.”
We haven’t heard about many candidates linked to the Wizards‘ head coaching job since the team announced Scott Brooks wouldn’t be returning for the 2021/22 season. However, it sounds like Washington’s search is moving forward.
Celtics assistant Scott Morrison told Peter Yannopoulos of RDS (Twitter link) that he has interviewed for the Wizards’ head coaching job. Morrison also interviewed for the open position in Boston before the team decided to hire Ime Udoka. With Udoka likely to bring in some new assistants, Morrison’s future with the C’s is unclear.
Meanwhile, Brian Windhorst of ESPN said on his Hoop Collective podcast that Sam Cassell and Wes Unseld Jr. are considered two of the leading candidates for the Wizards’ job (hat tip to RealGM). Cassell is currently an assistant with the Sixers, while Unseld – who has previously been mentioned as a contender for the Washington job – is a Nuggets assistant.
Here are a few more coaching-related updates and notes from around the NBA:
- Windhorst also said on his latest Hoop Collective podcast that Nets assistant Jacque Vaughn has emerged as a legit contender for the Pelicans‘ head coaching vacancy. “I’m not saying he’s going to get (the) job, because Charles Lee on the Bucks‘ staff is also going to be a strong candidate,” Windhorst said, per RealGM. “The word coming out of Chicago at the draft combine is that Jacque Vaughn, who is close to (Pelicans GM) Trajan Langdon… Jacque Vaughn is going to get a real serious look.” ESPN reported earlier in the week that both Vaughn and Lee were interviewing with New Orleans.
- On that same Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon suggested that former Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle may have felt threatened in Dallas by assistant Jamahl Mosley‘s close relationship with Luka Doncic (hat tip to RealGM). Carlisle’s endorsement of Jason Kidd for the job could be viewed through that lens. “I think Rick understood the perception of how (the endorsement of Kidd) might impact who he didn’t endorse,” MacMahon said, adding of Carlisle and Mosley: “I don’t think those guys will necessarily send each other Christmas cards.”
- Carlisle spoke to other teams with coaching openings before finalizing a deal with the Pacers, but Indiana was where the mutual interest was strongest, says J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star (subscriber-only article). According to Michael, Carlisle and the Pacers didn’t even meet face-to-face, completing their four-year deal over the phone.
Veteran center Pau Gasol, who has represented Spain in four Olympic tournaments so far, remains on track to be part of the team in Tokyo, per an Associated Press report. Gasol was one of 18 players included on Spain’s preliminary roster for the Tokyo games, joining his brother – Lakers center Marc Gasol – and Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio.
Timberwolves forward Juan Hernangomez, Pelicans big man Willy Hernangomez, and projected first-round pick Usman Garuba are among the other notable names on Spain’s preliminary roster, according to The Associated Press.
Here’s more on the Tokyo Olympics:
- Sixers All-Star Ben Simmons isn’t expected to play for Australia in the Olympics, tweets Brian Windhorst of ESPN. After a tough postseason, Simmons will spend the offseason focused on developing skills, including his jump shot.
- No African team has ever earned an Olympic medal – or even advanced beyond the preliminary stage – in the men’s basketball tournament, so Nigeria head coach Mike Brown will be looking to make history in Tokyo, writes Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. According to Colin Udoh of ESPN, Nuggets guard Monte Morris, Raptors forward OG Anunoby, Pistons big man Jahlil Okafor, Jazz teammates Miye Oni and Udoka Azubuike, and Heat teammates Precious Achiuwa and KZ Okpala are among the new additions to Nigeria’s roster.
- Turkey has announced its preliminary roster for the upcoming Olympic qualifying tournament in Canada, as Sportando relays. In addition to NBA players like Cedi Osman, Ersan Ilyasova, Furkan Korkmaz, and Omer Yurtseven, the squad includes projected first-round pick Alperen Sengun.
- Cavaliers guard Darius Garland will be part of the U.S. Select Team that scrimmages against Team USA’s Olympic squad ahead of the Tokyo games, as Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes. Cavs center Jarrett Allen has also received an invite to join the Select Team, but hasn’t made a decision yet, Fedor adds.
It wasn’t a great night for the Thunder at Tuesday’s draft lottery. The team had about a two-in-three chance that its own first-round pick would land in the top five and nearly a 50-50 chance that Houston’s pick would slide to No. 5, allowing OKC to swap the No. 18 selection for it. Instead, the Rockets kept their own pick and the Thunder’s selection slipped to No. 6.
Still, no NBA team has more draft picks in 2021 than the Thunder, who control three first-round selections and three more second-rounders.
The Pelicans, Pistons, Knicks, and Nets join them as teams that hold at least four draft picks this year. Those five clubs currently control 23 of the 60 picks in the 2021 draft, so it’s probably safe to assume they’ll be active on the trade market before or during the draft.
To present a clearer picture of which teams are most – and least – stocked with picks for the 2021 NBA draft, we’ve rounded up all 60 picks by team in the space below. Let’s dive in…
Teams with more than two picks:
- Oklahoma City Thunder (6): 6, 16, 18, 34, 36, 55
- Brooklyn Nets (5): 27, 29, 44, 49, 59
- Detroit Pistons (4): 1, 37, 42, 52
- New Orleans Pelicans (4): 17, 35, 43, 51
- New York Knicks (4): 19, 21, 32, 58
- Houston Rockets (3): 2, 23, 24
- Toronto Raptors (3): 4, 46, 47
- Orlando Magic (3): 5, 8, 33
- Charlotte Hornets (3): 11, 56, 57
- Indiana Pacers (3): 13, 54, 60
- Philadelphia 76ers (3): 28, 50, 53
Teams with two picks:
- Golden State Warriors: 7, 14
- Sacramento Kings: 9, 39
- San Antonio Spurs: 12, 41
- Memphis Grizzlies: 10, 40
- Atlanta Hawks: 20, 48
Teams with one pick:
- Cleveland Cavaliers: 3
- Washington Wizards: 15
- Los Angeles Lakers: 22
- Los Angeles Clippers: 25
- Denver Nuggets: 26
- Utah Jazz: 30
- Milwaukee Bucks: 31
- Chicago Bulls: 38
- Boston Celtics: 45
Teams with no picks:
- Dallas Mavericks
- Miami Heat
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Phoenix Suns
- Portland Trail Blazers
The Nuggets‘ season was over long before they expected it to be, especially given the stellar play of star center Nikola Jokic, which was rewarded with an MVP award. But a devastating knee injury to point guard Jamal Murray, the team’s leading scorer in last year’s playoffs, in addition to some disappointing play from key contributors, left the team reeling after a four-game sweep at the hands of the Suns.
Now, there are questions that must be answered, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post. One area of focus will be shoring up the Nuggets’ frontcourt, as Paul Millsap, JaMychal Green and JaVale McGee are all free agents. Singer also touches on how despite a disappointing end to his second year, Michael Porter Jr. is still very much a player worth keeping faith in, as he enters the first healthy offseason of his career.
Singer, along with Mark Kiszla and Matt Schubert of The Denver Post also answered a few of the most pressing questions facing the Nuggets, such as Aaron Gordon‘s future after his struggles stepping into a scoring role in the second round, potential areas of improvement for head coach Mike Malone, and Austin Rivers‘ impending free agency.
We have more from around the Northwest Division:
- Like Denver, the Jazz‘s season also ended in ignominious fashion after they surrendered a 2-0 lead to the Clippers to lose in six games, culminating in a blown 25-point lead in Game Six. Tony Jones of The Athletic takes a look at where the Jazz can go from here. One area of focus will be finding another forward along with Royce O’Neale who can take the tough defensive matchups on the wing. There’s also the question of Mike Conley‘s free agency to consider, and the related question of whether the Jazz want to try to turn Donovan Mitchell into their full-time point guard. The roster isn’t far away, Jones says, but it still needs some work if Utah is to have any hope of taking the next step towards being a bona-fide contender.
- Mike D’Antoni is getting a second interview with the Trail Blazers sometime this week, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Becky Hammon has already met with Blazers ownership for her second interview, and Chauncey Billups is set to do the same later in the week. Those three appear to be the finalists for the head coach job in Portland, though it’s possible other top candidates haven’t been reported yet.
- The Timberwolves could be an interesting landing spot for Ben Simmons if the Sixers decide to trade him, writes Michael Rand of The Star Tribune. With an elite-shooting big man in Karl-Anthony Towns and another high-level shot creator in last year’s number one pick Anthony Edwards, Simmons could focus on defense and passing, the way he has always wanted to. The question comes down to cost. The Wolves have D’Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley, either of whom could hold some interest to the Sixers, but Sixers GM Daryl Morey may want to hold out for more.
- The Timberwolves aren’t crying over lost picks, writes Chris Hine of the Star Tribune. “We prepared accordingly,” GM Gersson Rosas said pre-draft lottery, about the possibility of losing their first-round draft pick. “We drafted a player last year that has the opportunity to come this season in case there wasn’t a pick.” That’s a reference to Leandro Bolmaro, a very interesting point guard prospect recently named “Most Spectacular Player” of the Spanish league. Rosas also emphasized the added financial flexibility from not having to pay a high-end rookie-scale contract. “That’ll allow us to be more aggressive in terms of trades and free agency based on our financial position,” Rosas said.
- Thunder general manager Sam Presti hasn’t had a chance to meet with new addition Kemba Walker yet, as Walker has been out of the country, tweets Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. Presti did say that he liked Walker’s fit with star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has grown used to playing with multiple lead guards — he spent much of the 2019/20 season playing alongside Chris Paul and Dennis Schröder.
The Nuggets are hoping to reach a rookie scale extension agreement with Michael Porter Jr. this offseason, according to Mike Singer of the Denver Post. Porter had a breakout season, averaging 19.0 PPG and 7.3 RPG and president of basketball operations Tim Connelly is eager to lock up his combo forward long-term.
“He’s basketball-obsessed. His work ethic is an A-plus. It’s fun when you see guys like that where he had to battle through adversity and all the injuries,” Connelly said. “We’ll sit down with Michael’s representation. Our M.O. is when we can, we try to lock guys up and reward them for what they’ve done.”
We have more on the Nuggets:
- Connelly said that the luxury tax is not a factor in keeping the team competitive, as he told Singer. “We have no financial restraints in terms of trying to further develop a championship-level roster,” he said. Singer notes team salary would likely surpass the tax threshold during the 2022/23 season if Porter is signed to an extension.
- Porter might be more valuable as a trade chip than a fixture in the Nuggets’ lineup, Denver Post columnist Mark Kiszla opines. While Porter is an elite scorer, he has ball-handling issues and is an obvious defensive liability. If Denver can get a star such as Bradley Beal and Zion Williamson in a trade involving Porter, Connelly shouldn’t hesitate, Kiszla adds.
- Along with Porter’s contract situation, the Nuggets must decide this offseason whether to pursue an extension with Aaron Gordon and whether they want to re-sign Will Barton and JaMychal Green if they decline their player options, Singer writes in an offseason outlook. Adding backcourt depth is also a priority until Murray returns from his knee injury.
LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, Jae’Sean Tate and Saddiq Bey comprised this year’s All-Rookie First Team, the NBA announced on Thursday in a press release.
Ball, who was named Rookie of the Year on Thursday, led first-year NBA players in assists (6.1 APG) and steals (1.59 SPG) and ranked second in scoring (15.7 PPG) and rebounding (5.9 RPG) for the Hornets. Edwards, the No. 1 pick in the draft by the Timberwolves, averaged a rookie-high 19.3 PPG.
The Kings’ Haliburton ranked third among rookies in scoring (13.0 PPG) and second in assists (5.3 APG). Bey, the 19th overall pick, made a rookie-high 175 three-pointers for the Pistons. Tate, who went undrafted in 2018 and played in Australia last season, averaged 11.3 PPG and 5.3 PPG for the Rockets.
Ball and Edwards were the only unanimous First Team selections, receiving 99 of 99 potential First Team votes. Haliburton got 98, while Bey had 63 and Tate received 57.
Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley narrowly missed out on the top five, having earned 51 votes for the First Team.
Here are both All-Rookie teams in full, with their voting point totals notes in parentheses. Players received two points for a First Team vote and one point for a Second Team vote.
2020/21 All-Rookie First Team:
- LaMelo Ball, Hornets (198)
- Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves (198)
- Tyrese Haliburton, Kings (197)
- Saddiq Bey, Pistons (162)
- Jae’Sean Tate, Rockets (154)
2020/21 All-Rookie Second Team:
- Immanuel Quickley, Knicks (148)
- Desmond Bane, Grizzlies (88)
- Isaiah Stewart, Pistons (71)
- Isaac Okoro, Cavaliers (53)
- Patrick Williams, Bulls (50)
Nuggets guard Facundo Campazzo (42), Magic guard Cole Anthony (40), and Warriors center James Wiseman (24) were among the players who just missed the cut. Nine other players received votes — you can view the full voting results right here.
The Magic have requested permission to interview Nuggets associate head coach Wes Unseld Jr. for their head coaching vacancy, reports Mike Singer of The Denver Post (Twitter link).
While Singer doesn’t clarify whether Denver granted Orlando permission, there’s no reason to believe the Nuggets wouldn’t do so. When Unseld received a promotion last December, head coach Michael Malone said in a statement that his top assistant was “ready and deserving of a head coaching position in the NBA,” adding that it would only be a matter of time before that opportunity came.
Unseld is also expected to be in the mix for the Wizards‘ newly-opened head coaching job, a league source tells Singer (Twitter link).
Unseld has previously worked as an assistant coach for both the Wizards (2005-11) and Magic (2012-15), so he’s already familiar with both franchises.
It’s worth noting that his father, Hall-of-Famer Wes Unseld Sr., was a D.C. icon. The elder Unseld earned five All-Star nods and an MVP award in Baltimore and Washington for the then-Bullets, then coached the team and later held a front office role. However, it remains to be seen whether that history would make his son more inclined to pursue the Wizards’ job over an opportunity with the Magic or another team.
The NBA has officially announced the All-NBA First, Second, and Third Teams for the 2020/21 season, with Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the way as the lone unanimous selection for the First Team.
Antetokounmpo and Nuggets‘ MVP Nikola Jokic were the two top vote-getters, combining for 998 out of a possible 1,000 points, with Warriors guard Stephen Curry following shortly behind. Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard and Mavericks guard Luka Doncic rounding out the top five.
The full All-NBA teams are listed below, with their vote totals in parentheses. Players received five points for a First Team vote, three points for a Second Team vote, and one point for a Third Team vote, so Giannis scored a perfect 500 — First Team nods from all 100 voters.
All-NBA First Team
- Guard: Stephen Curry, Warriors (496)
- Guard: Luka Doncic, Mavericks (402)
- Forward: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks (500)
- Forward: Kawhi Leonard, Clippers (323)
- Center: Nikola Jokic, Nuggets (498)
All-NBA Second Team
- Guard: Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers (372)
- Guard: Chris Paul, Suns (311)
- Forward: LeBron James, Lakers (174)
- Forward: Julius Randle, Knicks (253)
- Center: Joel Embiid, Sixers (352)
All-NBA Third Team
- Guard: Kyrie Irving, Nets (61)
- Guard: Bradley Beal, Wizards (71)
- Forward: Paul George, Clippers (89)
- Forward: Jimmy Butler, Heat (131)
- Center: Rudy Gobert, Jazz (148)
Among the players who just missed the cut were Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (69), Wizards guard Russell Westbrook (44), Nets guard James Harden (41), Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (37) and Heat center Bam Adebayo (32). A total of 12 other players received votes. The full results can be found here.
Today’s announcement has major financial implications across the league. Tatum, who received more votes than Kyrie Irving but still fell 20 votes short of a final forward spot, will lose out on a projected $32.6MM on his rookie scale extension, as his next deal will start at 25% of the cap instead of the 30% he would have received if he’d been named to an All-NBA team. Likewise, Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, Kings guard De’Aaron Fox and Adebayo will all receive starting salaries worth 25% of the cap on their respective extensions as a result of missing out on All-NBA honors.
Doncic, having been named to his second consecutive All-NBA First Team, will be eligible for a 30% extension that would be worth a projected $201MM+ and is almost certain to be offered this summer. Doncic has previously made clear his intentions to sign the extension when offered. It will go into effect for the 2022/23 season.
Embiid is now eligible for a super-max contract extension, which would run for four years, starting in 2023/24, and would be worth a projected $191MM, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks. It’s unclear whether the Sixers will immediately put this extension on the table this offseason.
Bradley Beal‘s deal will not change with his first career All-NBA selection, as he is already eligible for a 35% contract extension on his next deal. Jokic, having been named MVP previously this week, also sees no change in his possible future super-max extension, which will be worth approximately $241MM.
Hoops Rumors readers accurately picked 12 of this season’s 15 All-NBA players in our poll. Devin Booker, Adebayo, and Tatum were your picks who didn’t make the official list.
- With Michael Porter Jr. up for a rookie scale extension this offseason, Mark Kiszla and Mike Singer of The Denver Post discuss whether the Nuggets should be comfortable putting a maximum-salary offer on the table for the 22-year-old forward.