Golden State Warriors Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Durant Praises Williams; Would He Consider Suns?

May 6th, 2019 at 9:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder

It’s in the best interest of the Lakers to give LeBron James input on all decisions, Frank Isola of The Athletic opines. While the Lakers don’t normally take that approach with a star player, no one running the club has proven they can build a winner, Isola notes. When they signed James last summer, they knew they had to let his voice be heard, Isola continues. The expected hiring of his former head coach in Cleveland, Tyronn Lue, is an example of James’ already exhibiting his influence, Isola adds.

We have more from around the Pacific Division:

Kevin Durant‘s praise of Monty Williams has led to speculation that the Warriors star might consider the Suns in free agency, Jeremy Cluff of Arizona Republic writes. While Cluff acknowledges that scenario is unlikely, Durant gushed about Williams’ character and coaching ability. “He’s a leader and a teacher,” Durant recently told the media. “I’m excited he’s back into coaching and walking those sidelines again. … Especially when you’re talking to him on the basketball court, you have a group of guys that will get better.” Williams was an assistant with the Thunder during the 2015/16 season when Durant played there.
Numerous draft pundits and NBA analysts believe Ja Morant would be a perfect fit for the Suns, Cluff relays in a separate story. The Murray State point guard is expected to be a top-three selection and Phoenix has an obvious need for a floor leader.
Lonzo Ball said that former business manager and Big Baller Brand co-founder Alan Foster took advantage of his mother’s illness for financial gain, Arthur Weinstein of Sports Illustrated relays. Ball said on James’ TV show ‘The Shop’ that Foster took over the family’s finances after Tina Ball suffered a stroke two years ago. Ball sued Foster last month for more than $2MM in damages, claiming that Foster embezzled $1.5MM from his personal and business accounts.

Cousins Remains Hopeful Of Returning This Season

May 6th, 2019 at 6:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

DeMarcus Cousins‘ season may not be over after all. It was generally assumed that Cousins was done for the season after he suffered a partially torn quad muscle in the Warriors’ opening-round series against the Clippers on April 15th.

Cousins told ESPN’s Marc Spears on Monday that he’s hopeful of playing again during Golden State’s drive for a third consecutive championship.

“For me, my goal is I ain’t planning on sitting,” Cousins said. “I don’t know the reality of it. But for me, that is not what I’m planning on doing. … It’s definitely some type of bad movie. But I think it will have a very nice ending. Just wait for it.”

Cousins’ injury occurred in a non-contact situation after he made a steal. He was ruled out indefinitely after the injury was diagnosed, though the team left the door open that he might play again during the playoffs if he responded well to treatment. An NBC Sports Bay Area report on Sunday indicated that Cousins and another injured Golden State big man, Damian Jones, could return at some point this postseason.

Cousins’ comment to Spears gives further credence to that possibility.

Cousins spent a year rehabbing from a torn left Achilles tendon he suffered while playing for the Pelicans. He made his Warriors debut on January 18th.

Cousins was thrilled that his latest injury didn’t require surgery.

“Obviously, I was little more relieved that it wasn’t anything catastrophic like I’ve dealt with before,” he told Spears. “It (stinks) to be injured anyway on top of that. The timing of it really (screwed) me up the most. It’s a part of this game, man. I’m not the first. I won’t be the last.”

Along with boosting his team, Cousins could help himself financially with an effective return this postseason. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent once again in July.

Summer Of “Seismic Change” Coming For Warriors?

May 6th, 2019 at 4:04pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Warriors are on a quest to win three-straight championships and while the team remains focused on achieving that goal, internally, the franchise is preparing for a summer of change.

“Internally in Golden State, there’s a sense of let’s try to put aside what’s coming in July,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on the network’s show Get Up! (h/t Tyler Conley of Bleacher Report). “Let’s try to keep our focus there and win the title, then let July play out the way it’s going to. But I think the Warriors are bracing for possibly seismic change within that organization,”

Klay Thompson is unlikely to switch teams as long as the Warriors present him with a five-year, max deal.

“If they come with a five-year, $190MM max deal for Klay Thompson, that’s done on July 1—he’s going into the new building with Steph Curry,” Woj said.

Many teams will pursue Thompson if the shooting guard does not receive that offer from Golden State. The Lakers will surely have interest in Thompson, but Wojnarowski names the Clippers as the bigger Los Angeles threat to sign the five-time All-Star.

The Clippers are one of a few teams that will have the ability to carve out two max slots. The Knicks are another franchise expected to chase a pair of superstars and Kevin Durant has been regularly linked to the Big Apple.

“I don’t know if there’s a lot of talking that has to happen between the Warriors and Kevin Durant,” Wojnarowski said. “I think he knows what it is, what he wants, and there may be nothing the Warriors can do or say to change that.”

Grizzlies Interview Jarron Collins For Head Coaching Vacancy

May 6th, 2019 at 8:57am CST by Arthur Hill

Warriors assistant Jarron Collins is the latest candidate to interview for the vacant head coaching job in Memphis, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.

He is only the second known person to interview for the position, following Jazz assistant Alex Jensen, who met with team officials last week in Memphis. The Grizzlies are also reportedly interested in Lithuania’s Sarunas Jasikevicius, currently the head coach of Zalgiris Kaunas. Memphis has been moving deliberately with its coaching search since dismissing J.B. Bickerstaff after the season ended.

Collins, 40, has been with Golden State for the past five years. He started as a player development coach in 2014/15, then was promoted to assistant coach a year later. Collins spent 10 years as a player with the Jazz, Suns, Clippers and Trail Blazers before retiring at the end of the 2010/11 season.

Keep up to date with all the latest coaching moves with our Head Coaching Search Tracker.

Cousins, Jones Could Return For Warriors

May 5th, 2019 at 11:51am CST by Arthur Hill

Centers DeMarcus Cousins and Damian Jones may be available later in the playoffs if the Warriors keep winning, tweets Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Coach Steve Kerr offered health updates on both players today, saying they are making progress and Jones could be cleared for contact next week.

Cousins was feared to be lost for the season after suffering a torn left quad in Game 2 of the first-round series against the Clippers. He was ruled out indefinitely, although there was some hope that he could return if he responded well to treatment.

Jones, who is already able to participate in three-on-three drills, hasn’t played since undergoing surgery for a torn left pectoral muscle in December. He began the season as the Warriors’ starting center, but appeared in just 24 games before the injury.

Golden State would welcome some help at center after being decisively out-rebounded in Game 3 against the Rockets. The Warriors have been getting by with Kevon Looney and Andrew Bogut in the middle, but have mainly been using a small lineup with no true center on the court.

Community Shootaround: Rockets-Warriors Series

May 3rd, 2019 at 6:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Entering the season, the Rockets loomed as the biggest threat to a Warriors three-peat. Their Western Conference Finals matchup last season went the distance and Houston might have knocked off Golden State if Chris Paul didn’t pull his hamstring in Game 5.

Houston finished with the fourth-best record in the West this season, but as the playoffs approached, nothing changed. With all due respect to the Nuggets and Trail Blazers, the Rockets still looked like the only team capable of sending Golden State home early.

With Game 3 of the series coming up on Saturday night, Golden State can already start thinking about ordering more championship rings. The Warriors won the first two games on their home court behind Kevin Durant, who scored 35 points in the controversial 104-100 Game 1 victory and 29 more in the 115-109 Game 2 triumph.

The opener was filled with beefs about the officiating, with both sides complaining about calls and non-calls. Paul was fortunate not to be suspended for bumping an official.

Houston’s chances of winning Game 2 on Tuesday were hampered by James Harden‘s eye issues after he got poked by Draymond Green. Harden still managed to score 29 points with blurred vision, but it wasn’t enough to overcame the Rockets’ 18 turnovers, which led to 24 Golden State points.

Now the series shifts to Houston and the pressure is on the Rockets to hold serve. The extra days between Games 2 and 3 have helped Harden, who is expected to play. All of the Rockets’ other regulars are healthy and coach Mike D’Antoni has had plenty of time to ponder adjustments. But the bottom line is Houston now must beat Golden State four times in five games.

That leads us to our question of the day: Can the Rockets come back and win their series with the Warriors or have they already dug too deep of a hole?

Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.

Community Shootaround: NBA Finals Match-Up

May 1st, 2019 at 10:49pm CST by clarkcrum

The NBA’s conference semifinals are underway and that means we’re down to eight teams as the Warriors, Nuggets, Trail Blazers, Rockets, Bucks, Raptors, Sixers, and Celtics each won their first-round series. The Warriors have taken control of their series with a 2-0 lead but the remaining series are all tied up at 1-1 and the Rockets are heading home for games 3 and 4. As such, every club still has a realistic shot of moving forward to the conference finals.

As everyone is well aware, the Warriors are the two-time defending NBA champions and winners of three of the last four. They are also the prohibitive favorites again this season and perhaps the one team that could be classified as league villains, while the other three Western Conference teams haven’t been to an NBA Finals since the Rockets in 1995.

Meanwhile, the Cavaliers and Heat (via LeBron James) have controlled the Eastern Conference playoffs for the last decade or so, with Milwaukee and Toronto never having won the East and Philadelphia and Boston not having been conference champions since 2001 and 2010, respectively.

With that all said, there are certain to be a bevy of opinions on what would be the best finals match-up, so we’re asking you that very question. Which NBA Finals match-up do you want to see? Is that the match-up you expect as well? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Warriors Rumors: Green, Durant, Bogut

May 1st, 2019 at 11:41am CST by Luke Adams

After some early-season struggles, Draymond Green has hit his stride for the Warriors as of late, anchoring the team’s defense and averaging 14.5 PPG, 10.5 RPG, and 8.0 APG on 68.4% shooting in his first two games vs. the Rockets. As Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic writes, team owner Joe Lacob was never concerned that Green wouldn’t have an impact during Golden State’s postseason run.

“He’s Draymond Green,” Lacob said. “I wasn’t worried. I want Draymond Green to be here forever. He’s as Warrior as they come.”

Lacob’s assertion that he wants Green to be a Warrior “forever” may be put to the test this offseason. While the former Defensive Player of the Year is under contract for one more year, he’s eligible for an extension this summer, and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com reports that Green is “gearing up” for those extension talks, having recently hired Rich Paul to represent him.

Green, who signed his current deal in 2015, one year before the NBA’s salary cap spike, has long felt that he’s underpaid, but his “mounting injury history and advancing age” may limit his earning power going forward, Windhorst observes. As such, it’ll be interesting to see what sort of proposal the Warriors are willing to put on the table during the offseason. The team could offer Green a four-year extension that starts in 2020/21 and is worth up to approximately $99.7MM.

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Speaking of Green, the NBA has rescinded the technical fouls called against him and Rockets center Nene on Tuesday night, Windhorst reports. That means Green’s postseason technical foul count is back down to three — players who rack up seven technicals during the playoffs receive a one-game suspension.
Marcus Thompson’s upcoming book “KD” provides some clues that suggest Kevin Durant may be leaning toward leaving the Warriors this summer, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post, who obtained an advance copy. As Berman explains, the book portrays Durant as someone who wants to erase the “negative feelings” that his move to Golden State generated and hints that his “final chapter” will happen elsewhere.
Whether or not this ends up being Durant’s final playoff run with the Warriors, he certainly appears to be enjoying it so far, writes Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. “This is where this sh– is fun, this is when it’s serious and I’m just embracing it,” Durant told Haynes. “I’m just having so much fun right now. This time of year is what I’m geared for. I’m just hooping at a high level and enjoying the competitiveness of the playoffs. You go through such a long season to get to this point, and now it’s time to produce.”
Andrew Bogut‘s current stint with the Warriors is happening in the middle of a two-year contract with the Sydney Kings, an unusual arrangement that will see Bogut return to Australia’s NBL next season to complete his deal. Speaking to Mark Medina of The Bay Area News Group, NBL CEO Jeremy Loeliger explains why he has no problem with that arrangement and could be open to other players doing something similar in the future.

And-Ones: Wizards, Thompson, Parsons, Grizzlies

April 30th, 2019 at 11:16pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Wizards are conducting several interviews for their head of basketball operations opening this week. Former Hawks GM Danny Ferry met with the team on Tuesday and current Rockets executive VP of basketball operations Gersson Rosas is also in town for his meeting, as we relayed earlier today.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link) reports that Thunder VP of basketball operations Troy Weaver was in D.C. as well to interview for the position. Interim GM Tommy Sheppard is also under consideration.

Here’s more from around the league:

Marc Stein of the New York Times believes Klay Thompson is “100 percent staying put with the Warriors and will not consider external suitors,” as he writes in his latest newsletter. Thompson will be a free agent at the end of the season.
Chandler Parsons had some encouraging stretches for the Grizzlies and he hopes to build on that progress, as David Cobb of the Memphis Commercial Appeal passes along. “I’m going to continue to do all the right things this summer and put myself in the best situation to play a lot of games next year,” Parsons said. “Where that will be, I don’t know. You’ve got to ask the guys upstairs. But I’m fully committed to the team and coming back, if that’s what it’s going to be.”
Parsons has one year left on his four-year, $94MM deal and Cobb (same piece) wonders if the team will be able to trade the forward. The scribe believes the Grizzlies would have to attach an asset to Parsons in order to extract any value from a trade despite Parsons showing progress this season.

Western Notes: Paul, House, Prince, Favors, Suns

April 29th, 2019 at 8:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Rockets point guard Chris Paul was fined $35K for “aggressively confronting and recklessly making contact with a game official” but was not suspended, according to a league press release relayed by ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.

Paul was ejected with 4.4 seconds left in Game 1 of the Rockets’ conference semifinal series with Golden State on Sunday. He was whistled for his second technical foul when he made contact with referee Josh Tiven while arguing that Warriors guard Klay Thompson committed a loose-ball foul against him. The non-call on Thompson was correct, according to the NBA’s last two minute report, MacMahon notes. Paul said the contact was accidental.

We have more from around the Western Conference:

Rockets reserve forward Danuel House harbors no ill will toward the Warriors for cutting him loose during training camp, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes. “I was just trying to secure a job, show people my potential. I just needed an opportunity,” House said. “Those guys didn’t see me fit for it. I’m just grateful my hometown team took me in. It’s business. I respect the nature of the business. But of course I want to win.” House had three points and three rebounds in 21 minutes during the series opener. He had his two-way contract converted into a standard deal in mid-March.
Grizzlies executive Tayshaun Prince was promoted to “special advisor” to vice president of basketball affairs but his role won’t change much, as Chris Herrington of the Daily Memphian explains. He’ll remain a crucial link from the front office to the players and coaches, though now with more empowerment, Herrington continues. Rich Cho, who was earlier named vice president of basketball strategy, will lead the analytics/research/systems staff while Chris Makris will continue to lead the traditional scouting staff, Herrington adds. Prince will also help evaluate professional, college and G League personnel.
Derrick Favors‘ chances of remaining with the Jazz hinge on what happens in the early days of free agency, as Ryan McDonald of the Deseret News explains. Favors’ $16.9MM salary for next season, which could total $18.8MM if he reaches incentives in the contract, becomes guaranteed if he’s on the roster past July 6. If Utah is able to secure a commitment from a free agent power forward, Favors won’t get the guarantee. If it can’t find a suitable replacement by then, the team will likely retain Favors.
The Suns are close to hiring Gonzaga assistant coach Riccardo Fois for a major player development role within the organization, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets. Fois is current the Zags’ coordinator of analytics and video operations.