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And-Ones: Uninvited Teams, Orlando, Diversity, Schedules

June 27th, 2020 at 4:32pm CST by Arthur Hill

Several cities are being considered as possible hosts for the eight teams that weren’t invited to Orlando, reports Sam Amick of The Athletic. Participants in a league conference call this week mentioned Las Vegas and Houston, which were both eyed as potential sites for the 22-team field before Orlando was chosen. Amick states that some of the eight teams involved have expressed interest in hosting the event, citing the Timberwolves as a possibility.

Sources tell Amick that the Cavaliers, Pistons and Hawks have been the strongest advocates to the league about setting up some type of eight-team arrangement so their players can have the benefit of competition before next season begins. However, the Knicks have been reluctant because they have so many potential free agents who may refuse to participate. He suggests New York would be more willing to get involved if it could use G League players to fill its roster.

We have more from around the basketball world:

  • The NBA isn’t doubting its decision to bring the restart to Walt Disney World, even though coronavirus cases are rising sharply in Florida, according to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. He spoke with several league and team officials who expressed confidence in the plan for a bubble environment. Mannix adds that the league might eventually reconsider its policy of not testing some Disney employees, noting that the guidelines issued last week can still be changed.
  • Commissioner Adam Silver and NBPA president Chris Paul are both calling on teams to increase diversity in their coaching and front office hires, writes Mark Medina of USA Today. The league currently has just 11 Black head coaches, nine female assistants and nine Black general managers. “There is no doubt there is more we can do internally, the league and our teams and in terms of our hiring practices,” Silver said on a conference call Friday. “The league needs to do a good job, in particular, when it comes to hiring African Americans at every level in the league. It’s something we have been focused on with our teams.”
  • John Hollinger of The Athletic assesses each team’s schedule for Orlando, finding that the Pelicans have the easiest slate and the Heat have the most challenging. Six of New Orleans’ eight games will be against teams with losing records.
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NBA Still Considering How To Handle The Eight Teams Not In Orlando

June 27th, 2020 at 10:05am CST by Arthur Hill

Discussions are continuing on what to do with the eight teams not involved in the NBA’s restart in Orlando, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports. NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum and NBPA executive director Michele Roberts addressed the topic during a conference call Friday, saying that any proposal must have the same strict health guidelines that are being used at Disney’s Wide World of Sports.

“We want the same (safety) standards to be met,” Tatum said. “There have been conversations that we’ve been having with the players association on how to do that and whether or not we can do that. We know it’s something that our teams would love to do, that some of the players would love to do. But, as Michele said, it has to be done in the right way. We’ll continue having those conversations with Michele and her team on what that looks like.”

The teams left out of Orlando — the Hawks, Hornets, Bulls, Cavaliers, Pistons, Warriors, Timberwolves and Knicks — are concerned about the competitive imbalance from having their players sidelined for so long. Assuming next season starts sometime in December, that will amount to a nine-month stretch without their players being involved in an NBA game.

The teams have discussed holding a mini-summer league, possibly in August, with a series of shared workouts followed by a few games. Considering the challenges of creating a bubble atmosphere in Orlando, it won’t be easy to find another site that could accommodate all eight teams while minimizing COVID-19 risks to make the setting safe for players and staff members.

“Candidly, while I appreciate that there will be a bit of a layoff, I think there are some things these teams can do to get the guys that are not playing some (benefit) by their not being involved in Orlando. But unless we could replicate in every way the protocol that’s been established for Orlando, I’d be — I’m being tame now — suspicious,” Roberts said. “I think there are conversations that could be had if there’s anything we can do with the other eight teams. I know there are some players, particularly young players, that seem concerned they’re not getting enough (opportunities). I think our teams are incredibly smart and creative and can come up with ways to get their guys engaged, if not now, before the season starts.

“But I am very concerned and frankly, my concern aside, our players, our teams are very concerned about any — in terms of play that doesn’t have the same guarantees of safety and health that we’ve provided for the teams in Orlando. So yeah, never say never, but there’s a standard. It’s a standard that’s got to be met, and if it’s not met, next question, as far as I’m concerned.”

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Batum, DeRozan Among Players With Earlier Option Decision Deadlines

June 26th, 2020 at 3:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Most veterans who have player options in their contracts for the 2020/21 season will have an October 17 deadline to either exercise or decline that option. That Saturday represents the second-last day of the 2019/20 league year under the NBA’s new calendar, meaning it would coincide in a normal year with June 29, the usual player option decision deadline.

However, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, some of the players who have to make option decisions for 2020/21 have slightly earlier deadlines. For instance, if the Spurs don’t make the postseason, DeMar DeRozan will be required to make his decision within seven days of the team’s last game, per Marks.

The full list of player options for ’20/21 can be found on our free agents page, but here are the options which must be exercised or declined before October 17, according to Marks:

The rest of this season’s player option decisions must be made by October 17, a deadline that applies to nearly every team option for 2020/21 as well. The only team options with earlier decision dates are minimum-salary ones for Deonte Burton (Thunder) and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk (Pistons), which are due by October 15, per Marks.

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Pistons Sign Justin Patton

June 26th, 2020 at 2:32pm CST by Luke Adams

2:32pm: Patton’s new deal includes a non-guaranteed second year worth the minimum, sources tell James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link).

2:25pm: The Pistons have signed free agent center Justin Patton to a contract, the team announced today in a press release. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but it figures to be a multiyear deal, since Detroit won’t be part of the resumed NBA season next month.

Patton, the 16th overall pick in the 2017 draft, was plagued by injuries during his first two NBA seasons with the Timberwolves and Sixers, breaking bones in both feet and appearing in just four total games. He signed with Oklahoma City last summer, playing in five games for the Thunder before being traded to Dallas and subsequently waived.

In 30 total G League games for the Oklahoma City Blue and the Wisconsin Herd in 2019/20, Patton averaged 12.1 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.9 APG, and an impressive 3.2 BPG in 27.0 minutes per contest.

The move makes the Pistons the first team in the NBA’s bottom eight to sign a player during the league’s transaction window this week. Detroit had a full roster at the time the season was suspended in March, but Donta Hall‘s 10-day contract has since expired, opening up a spot on the 15-man squad — Patton slides into that slot.

The signing of Patton also represents the first Pistons transaction since the team officially hired Troy Weaver as its new general manager last week. It seems safe to assume that Weaver played a key role in the transaction, considering he worked for the Thunder before arriving in Detroit.

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Pistons Notes: Weaver, Draft, Griffin

June 26th, 2020 at 2:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Reports during and after the Pistons‘ general manager search suggested that Troy Weaver was the team’s top target throughout the process, with Detroit renewing its pursuit of the former Thunder executive after being rebuffed by him two years ago.

Although Clippers assistant GM Mark Hughes and Nets assistant GM Jeff Peterson were said to receive serious consideration from the Pistons, a report from Marc Stein of The New York Times confirms that Weaver was always the “runaway” frontrunner. According to Stein, Weaver was the only one of Detroit’s candidates who interviewed with team owner Tom Gores.

Here’s more on the Pistons and their new GM:

  • Asked about his draft philosophy and how it might be affected by the fact that the Pistons will be picking in the top 10, Weaver stressed that a player’s character will be a major factor in his evaluations. “More times than not, high picks who don’t pan out the way people see it, you missed on the person,” he said, per James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. “If you get the person right, the basketball will take care of itself. Drafting high, getting the person right, is more important to me. If you draft in the 20s, you might want to take a swing on talent or a certain position, but when you’re where we’re drafting, you want to make sure the person is right.”
  • Keith Langlois of Pistons.com makes a case for why Blake Griffin‘s presence on the rebuilding Pistons is important and why the team shouldn’t be looking to dump his contract at any cost, with two years still left on that deal.
  • For what it’s worth, Weaver said earlier this week that Griffin is “definitely in our plans going forward,” as Edwards relays.
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Weaver Will “Run Basketball Side Of Things” For Pistons

June 22nd, 2020 at 8:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pistons owner Tom Gores defined new general manager Troy Weaver’s role, saying that the former Oklahoma City executive “will run the basketball side of things” for the rebuilding franchise, Keith Langlois of the team’s website reports.

Senior adviser Ed Stefanski had been running the front office but will take a step back with Weaver in place. Gores also encouraged Weaver to receive input from vice chairman Arn Tellem, and coach Dwane Casey. The club is expected to hire at least one assistant GM.

“We want Troy to lead. He’s going to run the basketball side of things,” Gores said. “We have over 100 years of experience between Arn and Ed and Dwane to leverage. The smartest people in the world leverage whatever resources they have. I wanted to make sure he would leverage it.”

Weaver said he was “blown away” by Gores’ energy and enthusiasm in a video conference and was sold on taking the job “in two minutes.”

Weaver, who had been with the Thunder for more than a decade following a stint with the Jazz, most recently held the title of vice president of basketball operations after previously serving as the team’s VP/assistant GM. He was Sam Presti‘s top lieutenant in Oklahoma City and had been a candidate for other top basketball operations jobs around the NBA in recent years.

The Pistons pursued him for a front office role two years ago after Stefanski was hired. He wasn’t ready to leave OKC at that point. When the Pistons came calling this time, Weaver was more willing to make a career move.

“It’s all about timing. When this opportunity presented itself, I thought the timing was right,” he said. “I thought the fit was right and the loyalty that Mr. Gores and Arn and coach Casey and Ed have building made it attractive. My talents fit with those guys there to be collaborative.”

Though the team is focused on a youth movement, Weaver sees Blake Griffin and Derrick Rose as a big part of Detroit’s plans for next season, according to ESPN’s Eric Woodyard.

“We’re excited to get them healthy and help them move forward,” Weaver said. “We feel like we have a good mixture of young guys with those two staples to be able to start there, but obviously we’ve got a lot of work to do with the draft and free agency.”

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And-Ones: 2021 Free Agency, Harrison, Poythress, Tyndall

June 21st, 2020 at 5:00pm CST by JD Shaw

As it stands, preparing for the free-agent class of 2021 is unimaginable for NBA executives, players, coaches and agents alike, David Aldridge and John Hollinger of The Athletic write.

Next summer’s class is notably star-studded compared to year’s past, headlined by the likes of Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. In addition, several other players such as LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George must decide on their respective player options.

“Before this year, you knew what that crop of ’21 is going to be,” one prominent, unnamed agent told The Athletic. “It’s going to be even more crowded, because you’re going to have a significantly higher number of players (this summer) doing 1+1s (two-year deals with a player option for the second season). … I’m very lucky that I’m not going nuts going into this free agency. It’s going to be a bloodbath. We don’t know what the cap is going to be, but if it stays the same, how many owners are going to go with more than 13 guys?”

In addition to not knowing salary-cap numbers and how COVID-19 will affect player’s decisions in free agency this summer, a clear timetable for when next season will end has yet to be established — and that’s assuming next season will be held under different circumstances.

“We don’t know whether they’re going to play or not,” another prominent agent told The Athletic. “I know everyone’s assuming they’re going to play, but you see all these things going on, people coming back (testing positive) from football, people protesting, I don’t know the effects of all this. … you can’t tell me that if I’m a 65-year-old executive, with a family, that I’m comfortable being in this bubble? Me, it’s just too much unknown. … it probably makes sense for everybody to sign a one-year deal. Even the big free agents like Anthony Davis – sign a one-year deal (this summer) and see what the numbers are for ’21, and sign a contract based off the projections for that.”

Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • CSKA Moscow is expressing interest in free agent guard Andrew Harrison, according to basketball reporter Tolis Kotzias (as relayed by Sportando). Harrison, the No. 44 pick in 2015, has made past stops with Memphis, Cleveland and New Orleans, most recently playing for the Warriors’ G League affiliate in Santa Cruz.
  • Free agent big man Alex Poythress is registering interest from Olympiacos, according to Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops. Poythress averaged 13.6 points and 7.1 rebounds with Galatasaray last season, holding NBA experience with the Sixers, Pacers and Hawks.
  • Donnie Tyndall has accepted the position of head coach of Chipola College, according to The Detroit News. Tyndall served this past season as head coach of the Grand Rapids Drive, the G League affiliate of the Pistons.
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How Troy Weaver Could Avoid Failure As General Manager

June 21st, 2020 at 3:32pm CST by JD Shaw
  • Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press looks at how new Pistons general manager Troy Weaver could avoid failure by examining some of the franchise’s past mistakes. Weaver, who most recently served as vice president of basketball operations with the Thunder, was hired by Detroit last week. The Pistons accrued just a 20-46 record on the season and have reached the playoffs just twice in the past ten years.
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2020 NBA Front Office Shakeup Tracker

June 19th, 2020 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Having created a space to track the NBA’s head coaching changes this year, we’re now doing the same for the teams shaking up their front offices.

The front office structure for an NBA franchise generally isn’t as cut-and-dried as a coaching staff. All 30 teams will enter the 2020/21 season employing a head coach and a staff of assistant coaches. But not every team will have an executive with the title of “president of basketball operations” or “executive VP of basketball operations” on its payroll. And while some general managers around the league have decision-making power within their organizations, that doesn’t apply to all of them.

Nonetheless, we’ll do our best to track this offseason’s front office changes in the space below, monitoring which executives have decision-making power in each new management group. Some of these searches could extend well into the summer or fall, so be sure to check back 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 10-24-20 (1:43pm CT)

Active Searches:

None

Completed Searches:

Chicago Bulls

  • In:
    • Arturas Karnisovas, executive VP of basketball operations (story)
    • Marc Eversley, general manager (story)
    • J.J. Polk, assistant general manager (story)
    • Pat Connelly, VP of player personnel (story)
  • Out:
    • GM Gar Forman dismissed (story)
    • Executive VP of basketball operations John Paxson moved to advisory role (story)

Some combination of Paxson and/or Forman had been running the show in Chicago since Jerry Krause‘s departure in 2003, so when the Bulls overhauled their front office this spring, there was skepticism among fans that the duo known as GarPax would really be stripped of its power.

Paxson remained in the organization and may be involved in some basketball decisions, but Forman is gone, and by all accounts, the Bulls are prepared to give the reins to Karnisovas and his new right-hand man Eversley. One of their first orders of business will be making a decision on head coach Jim Boylen, who is very much on the hot seat.

Denver Nuggets

  • In:
    • Calvin Booth, general manager (story)
      • Note: Promoted from assistant GM
    • Tommy Balcetis, assistant GM (story)
      • Note: Promoted from VP of basketball strategy and analytics
  • Out:
    • General manager Arturas Karnisovas left for job with Bulls (story)

The Nuggets had to replace Karnisovas once he decided to take the top job in Chicago, but didn’t technically conduct a full-fledged search for his replacement, opting instead to stay in-house and promote Booth. He’ll be the new top lieutenant in Denver for president of basketball operations Tim Connelly.

Detroit Pistons

  • In:
    • Troy Weaver, general manager (story)
    • David Mincberg, assistant general manager (story)
    • Harold Ellis and Ryan West, scouting department (story)
  • Out:
    • Assistant GM Malik Rose left for job with NBA league office (story)
    • Assistant GM Pat Garrity left the organization (story)

Senior advisor Ed Stefanski has served as the Pistons’ de facto head of basketball operations for the last two years, but at the time of his hiring, he wasn’t necessarily viewed as someone who would hold that position for the next five or 10 years.

With its hiring of Weaver, Detroit has brought aboard a GM who will work with Stefanski and “run the basketball side of things,” according to team owner Tom Gores. While Stefanski, vice chairman Arn Tellem, and head coach Dwane Casey figure to be involved to some extent in basketball decisions, it sounds as if Weaver will take the lead on those matters.

It’s worth noting that the Pistons are expected to hire a couple new assistant GMs, so while their GM search is finished, their front office additions likely aren’t.

Houston Rockets

  • In:
    • Rafael Stone, general manager (story)
      • Note: Promoted from executive VP of basketball operations
  • Out:
    • General manager Daryl Morey stepped down (story)
    • VP of basketball operations Monte McNair left for job with Kings (story)

After losing McNair to the Kings, the Rockets saw their longtime head of basketball operations exit the organization, as Morey resigned from his GM position.

Rather than launching a full-fledged search for a new general manager, the Rockets promoted Stone, a longtime Morey lieutenant who will take control of the team’s basketball operations department. Assistant GM Eli Witus will take on additional responsibilities as Stone’s new right-hand man.

New York Knicks

  • In:
    • Leon Rose, president of basketball operations (story)
    • William Wesley, executive VP/senior basketball advisor (story)
    • Frank Zanin, assistant general manager – pro scouting (story)
    • Walt Perrin, assistant general manager – college scouting (story)
    • Brock Aller, VP of basketball and strategic planning (story)
  • Out:
    • President of basketball operations Steve Mills reassigned to MSG board (story)
    • Consultant David Blatt not retained (story)
    • VP of player development Craig Robinson not retained (story)
    • Director of player personnel Harold Ellis not retained (story)
  • Retained:
    • Scott Perry, general manager (story)

The Knicks made their changes in the winter, firing Mills during the first week of February and officially bringing Rose aboard less than a month later. Still, we’re including them here because the work they’ve done reshaping their front office has extended into the offseason, with the hiring of Zanin, Perrin, and Aller.

Following the Knicks’ surprising decision to extend Perry’s contract by one year, the next items on the docket include hiring a permanent head coach and deciding how to use their cap room once free agency begins.

Sacramento Kings

In:

  • Monte McNair, general manager (story)
  • Joe Dumars, chief strategy officer (story)

Out:

  • Vlade Divac, general manager (story)
  • Peja Stojakovic, assistant GM (story)

Although Divac’s departure was classified as him “stepping down” from his general manager position with the Kings, subsequent reporting suggested that team owner Vivek Ranadive wanted him to accept a reduced role, with Dumars taking on more power in Sacramento’s front office.

Dumars briefly took the reins as the Kings’ interim executive VP of basketball operations and general manager, and was involved in the search for a new permanent GM, but transitioned to a chief strategy officer position once Sacramento landed on Rockets assistant GM McNair as its new head of basketball operations.

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Pistons Notes: Weaver Hiring, Wood, Griffin

June 19th, 2020 at 10:53am CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons‘ long pursuit of Troy Weaver finally paid off Thursday when he was hired to be the team’s general manager, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News. A league source tells Beard that Detroit had strong interest in Weaver when team president/coach Stan Van Gundy and GM Jeff Bower were dismissed two years ago, but the Thunder wouldn’t grant permission for an interview.

Weaver, 52, spent more than a decade in the Oklahoma City front office and was instrumental in building a team that reached the NBA Finals. He was an advocate for drafting Russell Westbrook with the fourth pick in 2008, even though he wasn’t projected that high. Pistons vice chairman Arn Tellem previously worked with Wasserman Media Group, which represented Westbrook.

“We’re rebuilding our roster and Troy brings a tremendous amount of experience. He’s one of those guys who has a knack for talent,” Pistons coach Dwane Casey said in an NBA-TV interview. “A lot of the growth and building they did in Oklahoma City Thunder, he was a big part of that. … The next couple of years of developing our roster is a key time in our organization.”

There’s more from Detroit:

  • In addition to Tellem and Casey, Weaver spoke with senior adviser Ed Stefanski, owner Tom Gores and the Pistons’ assistant general managers during the interview process so the organization could get a “fully rounded view,” according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. Weaver will be given free rein to hire more assistant GMs and support staff. Sources tell Edwards that Nets assistant GM Jeff Peterson and Clippers assistant GM Mark Hughes were both impressive in their interviews and received serious consideration for the job.
  • Re-signing Christian Wood should be Weaver’s top priority, states Ansar Khan of MLive. Wood will be an unrestricted free agent after a breakout performance over the last month of the season, but faces a market limited by financial uncertainty and a shortage of teams with cap space. Detroit owns Wood’s early Bird rights and can start his new deal at a little more than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which is expected to be about $9.7MM. The Celtics and Rockets both expressed interest in Wood at the trade deadline, Khan adds.
  • Weaver also faces an important decision on Blake Griffin, who still has two years and approximately $75.6MM left on his contract, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit News. Griffin was limited to 18 games this season because of a knee injury and at age 31, he doesn’t fit the team’s rebuilding timeline. Sankofa notes that Weaver was part of two franchise-altering trades last summer involving Paul George and Westbrook.
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