- The Rockets will use their second training camp to fully incorporate Robert Covington into their style of play, writes Kelly Iko of The Athletic. Covington was acquired shortly before the trade deadline in early February and played just 14 games for Houston before the hiatus.
The Pelicans and rookie star Zion Williamson will face the Jazz on July 30 at 6:30 p.m. ET in the first game of the NBA’s restart, the league announced on Friday.
There will be 88 “seeding” games from July 30 to August 14 prior to the postseason.
The Clippers will square off against the Lakers in the second game on July 30 at 9 p.m. ET. The first two games will be broadcast by TNT.
It will get very busy the next day with six games scheduled, highlighted by Celtics vs. Bucks and Rockets vs. Mavericks. There will be a maximum of seven games per day, with start times ranging from 12-9 p.m.
At the conclusion of the seeding games, the seven teams in each conference with the highest combined winning percentages across regular-season games and seeding games will be the first through seventh seeds for the conference playoffs. If the team with the eighth-best combined winning percentage (regular-season games and seeding games) in a conference is more than four games ahead of the team with the ninth-best combined winning percentage in the same conference, then the team with the eighth-best winning percentage would be the No. 8 seed.
If the team with the eighth-best combined winning percentage in a conference is four games or fewer ahead of the team with the ninth-best combined winning percentage in the same conference, then those two teams would compete in a play-in tournament to determine the No. 8 playoff seed in the conference. The play-in tournament will be double elimination for the eighth-place team and single elimination for the ninth-place team.
Much of the intrigue regarding the seeding games concerns the final Western Conference spot. The Grizzlies, currently eighth, hold a 3 1/2-game lead over the Trail Blazers, Pelicans and Kings, a four-game lead over the Spurs and a six-game advantage on the Suns.
Memphis will face the Blazers, Spurs, Pelicans, Jazz, Thunder, Raptors, Celtics and Bucks during the seeding round. Among the Grizzlies’ pursuers, the Pelicans appear to have the weakest schedule. After opening against the Jazz, they’ll face the Clippers, Grizzlies, Kings (twice), Wizards, Spurs and Magic.
The Nets and Magic need only to hold off the Wizards in the East to claim the final two spots in their conference. Washington trails Brooklyn by six games and Orlando by 5 1/2 games.
The breakdown of each team’s seeding schedule can be found here. The day-by-day schedule and national TV schedule can be found here.
10:28pm: The Rockets have officially signed Nwaba, waiving Hartenstein to create the necessary roster spot, the club confirmed in a press release.
5:54pm: The Rockets have reached an agreement with free agent swingman David Nwaba, who will sign a two-year deal with the club, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter).
Nwaba started the 2019/20 season with the Nets, but suffered a torn Achilles tendon in December and was waived shortly thereafter. The 27-year-old is still recovering from that Achilles injury, so he won’t actually play for Houston during the resumed season in Orlando, per Charania.
In other words, the Rockets are signing Nwaba for his potential 2020/21 value, and they’re reportedly paying well above the minimum to secure his rights — Charania suggests (via Twitter) that the two-year agreement will pay Nwaba $900K this season, with a team option for ’20/21. A minimum salary for the rest of the season would pay Nwaba less than $200K, so Houston will have to use the remaining portion of its taxpayer mid-level exception to complete the signing.
Nwaba, a strong perimeter defender, also held his own on the offensive end for Brooklyn in 20 games this season, averaging 5.2 PPG on .521/.429/.667 shooting in 13.4 minutes per contest. He previously appeared in 141 total games for the Lakers, Bulls, and Cavaliers, dating back to 2017.
In order to officially complete their deal with Nwaba, the Rockets will need to waive a player on their 15-man roster to create an opening. There’s no word yet on who will be the odd man out, but Houston has a handful of players on the roster who have limited roles and aren’t owed guaranteed money beyond this season, including Tyson Chandler, Bruno Caboclo, Isaiah Hartenstein, Thabo Sefolosha, and Chris Clemons.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
10:27pm: The Rockets have officially waived Hartenstein, the team announced in a press release. Their deal with Nwaba is official now as well.
8:45pm: The Rockets are waiving Isaiah Hartenstein, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic.
Houston agreed to sign David Nwaba on a two-year deal earlier today, creating a need to open up a spot on the 15-man roster. The 27-year-old Nwaba is still recovering from an Achilles injury, so he won’t actually play for the Rockets in Orlando.
Hartenstein, 22, showed some flashes earlier in the season filling in for Clint Capela. In 23 total games (11.6 MPG), he averaged 4.7 PPG and 3.9 RPG with a .657 FG%.
The Rockets have since traded Capela and committed to a center-less approach, which makes Hartenstein expendable. Houston won’t be on the hook for any of his salary beyond this season, since his $1,663,861 cap hit for 2020/21 is non-guaranteed.
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:
- Out:
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:
- 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:
- Out:
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
- Rafael Stone, general manager (story)
- Out:
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:
- 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:
Out:
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.
The Rockets are considering making a roster move in advance of the resumption of the 2019/20 season, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle, who reports that signing Tyler Johnson is one possibility the team has looked at.
Johnson, 28, was sent to Phoenix at the 2019 trade deadline and appeared in 44 total games for the club, including 31 this season. Formerly a solid rotation player in Miami, Johnson had a down year with the Suns in 2019/20, averaging just 5.7 PPG and 1.6 APG on .380/.289/.750 shooting in 16.6 minutes per contest.
After not finding a deal that used his expiring contract at the trade deadline in February, the Suns waived Johnson a few days later. He has been a free agent since then and would be eligible to join a team for the NBA’s summer restart.
If the Rockets want to sign Johnson, they’ll have to open up a roster spot to do so. After signing Jeff Green and DeMarre Carroll on the buyout market, Houston has a full 15-man squad, with both two-way slots used as well.
Feigen doesn’t name a specific player whose roster spot may be in jeopardy if the Rockets make a move. However, Tyson Chandler, Bruno Caboclo, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Thabo Sefolosha are among the players on the roster who have limited roles and aren’t owed guaranteed money beyond this season.
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.
- Rockets backup guard Austin Rivers spoke with The Athletic’s Kelly Iko at length about a variety of issues, including the league’s Orlando restart. “They’re saying we’ll be in Orlando for at least a period of time, anywhere between 30 to 40 days without seeing our family,” Rivers said. “And I don’t want to do it. Nobody wants to do it, but we all have to sacrifice if you want to have the season, resume and that’s what we have to do.” Rivers inked a veteran’s minimum contract with Houston in the hopes of winning a title, despite apparently fielding heftier offers from non-contenders.
During a typical NBA league year, there’s a pretty clear-cut period in the spring when the league’s various head coaching searches take place. A team parting ways with a coach generally makes that decision when the team’s season ends, then hires a replacement sometime before the draft and free agency.
That coaching-search window in 2020 lasted a little longer than that due to the fact that only 22 of 30 teams participated in the summer restart. A team like the Knicks, which wasn’t part of the return to play, launched its head coaching search in June and finalized it in July. However, the Thunder, who participated in the restart, didn’t finalize their coaching search until November.
Keeping that in mind, we created a space to track this offseason’s head coaching searches, whether they took place in June, November, or sometime in between. In the space below, we’ll provide frequent updates on the head coaching searches for each club that has yet to give anyone the permanent title, as well as noting other situations worth keeping an eye on.
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 11-11-20 (9:26am CT)
Active Searches:
None
Completed Searches:
Brooklyn Nets
- New coach:
- Steve Nash (story)
- Previous coach:
- Jacque Vaughn (interim)
- Also reportedly considered:
Vaughn, who took over for Kenny Atkinson in August, was considered for the job on a permanent basis, but there was a belief that the Nets were seeking a more accomplished veteran coach to lead a roster headed by Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
In Nash, Brooklyn didn’t exactly get a head coach with a lengthy résumé — the former two-time MVP has no previous coaching experience, even as an assistant. However, he has a good relationship with Durant after spending time as a Warriors consultant, and figures to command the respect of the Nets’ stars and veterans based on his success as a player.
Nash reportedly signed a four-year contract.
Chicago Bulls
- New coach:
- Billy Donovan (story)
- Previous coach:
- Jim Boylen (story)
- Also reportedly considered:
- Sixers assistant Ime Udoka (story)
- Former Nets coach Kenny Atkinson (story)
- Nuggets assistant Wes Unseld Jr. (story)
- Bucks assistant Darvin Ham (story)
- Mavericks assistant Stephen Silas (story)
- Mavericks assistant Jamahl Mosley (story)
- Timberwolves associate head coach David Vanterpool (story)
- Heat assistant Dan Craig (story)
- Bulls assistant Chris Fleming (story)
- Bulls assistant Roy Rogers (story)
- Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin (story)
It always seemed unlikely that new Bulls executives Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley would keep Boylen in his current role, given his underwhelming results over the last two seasons and the fact that most front offices prefer to bring in their own head coach. They eventually relieved Boylen of his duties on August 14, hiring Donovan five-and-a-half weeks later.
While Chicago considered a wide range of candidates, including many current assistant coaches, the front office reportedly “aggressively pursued” Donovan, believing he was the best candidate on the market and the right fit to lead the Bulls’ promising young roster. He reportedly received a four-year contract worth approximately $24MM.
Houston Rockets
- New coach:
- Stephen Silas (story)
- Previous coach:
- Mike D’Antoni (story)
- Rumored candidates or targets:
- Rockets player development coach John Lucas (story)
- Former Knicks/Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy (story)
- Former Nets coach Kenny Atkinson (story)
- Timberwolves associate head coach David Vanterpool (story)
- Nuggets assistant Wes Unseld Jr. (story)
- Clippers assistant Tyronn Lue (story)
- Clippers assistant Sam Cassell (story)
D’Antoni and the Rockets were unable to reach an agreement on a contract extension last offseason, resulting in him entering the final year of his current deal without any assurances beyond 2019/20. After the team was eliminated in the second round of the postseason, D’Antoni announced that he wouldn’t be returning to Houston, leaving the Rockets to seek a new head coach.
After a search process that saw them narrow their finalists to Silas, Van Gundy, and Lucas, the Rockets opted for the first-timer in Silas rather than a veteran with previous head coaching experience.
Indiana Pacers
- New coach:
- Nate Bjorkgren (story)
- Previous coach:
- Nate McMillan (story)
- Also reportedly considered:
- Pelicans assistant Chris Finch (story)
- Former Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni (story)
- Former NBA guard Chauncey Billups (story)
- Heat assistant Dan Craig (story)
- Heat assistant Chris Quinn (story)
- Timberwolves associate head coach David Vanterpool (story)
- Nets associate head coach Jacque Vaughn (story)
- Trail Blazers associate head coach Nate Tibbetts (story)
- Spurs assistant Becky Hammon (story)
- Spurs assistant Will Hardy (story)
- Mavericks assistant Jamahl Mosley (story)
- Mavericks assistant Stephen Silas (story)
- Bucks assistant Darvin Ham (story)
- Bucks assistant Charles Lee (story)
- Sixers assistant Ime Udoka (story)
- Magic assistant Pat Delany (story)
- Warriors assistant Mike Brown (story)
- Former Kings and Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger (story)
While there were some whispers about McMillan’s job security early in August, it seemed as if the Pacers had put those rumors to rest by working out a one-year contract extension with their head coach a few days later. However, after being swept out of the first round by the Heat, Indiana changed course, announcing that McMillan had been relieved of his duties.
The Pacers spoke to a long list of candidates as they sought McMillan’s replacement, conducting one of the NBA’s most in-depth coaching searches of the year. They ultimately landed on an under-the-radar choice in Bjorkgren, a Raptors assistant who doesn’t have any previous head coaching experience.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers’ season ended in brutal fashion — less than a week after taking a 3-1 lead over Denver in the Western Conference Semifinals and being dubbed championship frontrunners by oddsmakers, they had blown that 3-1 lead and were out of the playoffs. Still, Rivers’ exit came as something of a surprise, given his championship résumé and his history with the franchise.
With Kawhi Leonard and Paul George eligible to reach free agency in 2021, the Clippers faced a ton of pressure to find the right win-now coach to lead the team next season and opted for an in-house option with championship experience. Lue, who received a five-year contract from the team, won a title during his first year as Cleveland’s head coach in 2016 and will try to do it again in Los Angeles after spending the 2019/20 season as Rivers’ lead assistant.
New Orleans Pelicans
An underwhelming finish to the 2019/20 season helped seal Gentry’s fate. He led the Pelicans to the postseason just once in five seasons and only had a single year remaining on his contract when he was dismissed on August 15.
The Pelicans’ coaching search ultimately led them to Van Gundy, whom the club trusts to teach and develop its young players, including potential franchise player Zion Williamson. Van Gundy, who will be coaching his fourth NBA team, received a four-year contract.
New York Knicks
- New coach:
- Tom Thibodeau (story)
- Previous coach:
- Mike Miller (interim)
- Also interviewed:
- Miller (story)
- Former Nets coach Kenny Atkinson (story)
- Former Knicks coach Mike Woodson (story)
- Sixers assistant Ime Udoka (story)
- Magic assistant Pat Delany (story)
- Bulls assistant Chris Fleming (story)
- Spurs assistant Will Hardy (story)
- Mavericks assistant Jamahl Mosley (story)
- Warriors associate head coach Mike Brown (story)
- Lakers assistant Jason Kidd (story)
Thibodeau was long cited as the presumed frontrunner in the Knicks’ head coaching search, but the team conducted a wide-ranging search rather than simply handing him the job. Atkinson generated some buzz during the process, with Miller and Kidd receiving serious consideration as well. In the end, however, the Knicks went with Thibodeau, agreeing to a five-year contract to make him their new head coach.
Oklahoma City Thunder
- New coach:
- Mark Daigneault (story)
- Previous coach:
- Billy Donovan (story)
- Rumored candidates or targets:
The Thunder’s split with Donovan was, by all accounts, an amicable one. Donovan’s contract with the club expired in 2020 and with a potential rebuild looming, the two sides decided they didn’t ultimately see eye-to-eye on what the next few years would look like in Oklahoma City.
The club sought a first-time coach who would be comfortable going through a rebuilding process and found Donovan’s replacement in house in Daigneault. Having served as the head coach of the Oklahoma City Blue in the G League for five years and as a member on Donovan’s staff for a single season, the 35-year-old will get his first shot at an NBA head coaching job.
Philadelphia 76ers
Brown was let go by the Sixers approximately 24 hours after Philadelphia’s quick and disappointing playoff exit. He spent seven years with the franchise, but his time as head coach had run its course.
Having been in the market for a coach capable of challenging and commanding the respect of their star players, the Sixers zeroed in on D’Antoni and Lue before shifting their focus to Rivers when he left Los Angeles. They finalized an agreement with Rivers just 72 hours after word broke that he had parted ways with the Clippers.
- Rockets guard Austin Rivers holds a different opinion than Howard about whether the NBA season should resume, posting his comments in an Instagram reply (as relayed by ESPN). “Us coming back would put money in all of our (NBA players’) pockets,” Rivers said as part of a larger quote. “With this money you could help out even more people and continue to give more importantly your time and energy towards the BLM movement. Which I’m 100% on board with. Because change needs to happen and injustice has been going on too long.”