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Coaching Changes May Be Coming In Detroit, Toronto, Houston

April 7th, 2023 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons, Raptors and Rockets are the main teams to watch for head coaching changes once the NBA season ends, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

Detroit’s Dwane Casey met with ownership to discuss his future after Wednesday’s game, and sources tell Fischer that some staff members are preparing for a change to take place. Fischer cites a source with knowledge of the situation who says Casey may be given the option of returning as head coach for the final year of his contract or moving into an advisory role with the front office.

Bucks assistant Charles Lee, who has interviewed for numerous head coaching positions in the past, is a top candidate if the Pistons’ job opens up, according to Fischer, who hears that Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin may be given consideration as well. Griffin previously worked under general manager Troy Weaver as an assistant coach in Oklahoma City.

Nick Nurse amplified questions about his status in Toronto last weekend when he said he plans to take some time after the season to evaluate his future with the organization. There were already rumors that the Raptors were considering a coaching move following a disappointing season that will result in a spot in the play-in tournament.

Former Celtics coach Ime Udoka is considered a leading candidate to replace Nurse if he either decides to move on or is dismissed by the team. Udoka was a finalist for the job before Nurse was hired in 2018, and he has a strong relationship with executive Masai Ujiri through the Basketball Without Borders program.

Nurse could wind up in Houston, where Stephen Silas appears likely to be replaced after three years of rebuilding, Fischer adds. Nurse was the Rockets’ G League coach from 2011-13, but he’s not the only potential candidate with ties to Houston or to James Harden, who will reportedly be an offseason target in free agency.

Fischer notes that Trail Blazers assistant Scott Brooks coached Harden in Oklahoma City, while Pistons assistant Rex Kalamian worked on Brooks’ staff with the Thunder. Fischer states that Kalamian has been mentioned by several NBA sources as a potential addition in Houston, possibly as an assistant.

Elsewhere, Fischer hears that league personnel are watching Steve Clifford’s future with the Hornets. The current leadership isn’t considering replacing Clifford, who’s still on the first season of his new contract, Fischer adds, but that could change if Michael Jordan sells enough of his interest in the team that there’s a new primary governor.

Southwest Notes: Bane, Spurs, Rockets, Ingram

April 6th, 2023 at 10:49pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Following a review, the NBA has rescinded a technical foul that attendant referees had previously assessed Grizzlies shooting guard Desmond Bane, the league has announced (Twitter link).

Bane was whistled for the infraction midway through the third quarter of Memphis’ eventual 138-131 overtime loss to the Pelicans Wednesday. He punched the air after he failed to snare an offensive rebound (Twitter video link), hardly tech-worthy behavior.

There’s more out of the Southwest Division:

Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has revealed that San Antonio intends to play in Austin every year moving forward to help grow its brand, per Tom Orsbron of The San Antonio Express News. “The bottom line is the Spurs organization just wants to expand the territory,” Popovich said. “We live here in this region, all the way from Mexico all the way to up here, and we’d like to spread that experience we’ve had with the Spurs to another area, and to do that we have to make the effort to be seen and to get up here and to play some games. And I think we will do that every year now. I don’t think, I know, and this is the start of it.” San Antonio is playing twice at the Moody Center in Austin this season, against the Trail Blazers today and Timberwolves Saturday.
The rebuilding Rockets are hoping to improve enough to take the next step in their evolution in 2023/24, writes Andrew Lopez of ESPN. “We’re definitely on the right track and we’re beating some teams that are trying to make a playoff run,” forward Jae’Sean Tate said. “Our record might not say it, but things around here are definitely different and trending in the right direction.” The team is 20-60 this year.
Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram is evolving as a star and team leader, opines William Guillory of The Athletic. Across his past 10 games, during which New Orleans has gone 8-2, Ingram has been averaging 28.8 PPG, 8.7 APG, 6.3 RPG, and 0.6 SPG.

Rockets’ Stephen Silas Uncertain If He’ll Be Retained

April 4th, 2023 at 9:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Stephen Silas said he’s proud of the job he’s done with the Rockets, even though there’s heavy speculation he may not retained for next season, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Silas was hired with a four-year contract but this is the last season that the contract is guaranteed. The club holds a team option for 2023/24 and could be in the market for a new voice. The rebuilding Rockets had the league’s second-worst record at 19-60 entering their game against Denver on Tuesday.

“I have not been perfect at all. But I am proud of the job that I’ve done,” Silas said. “I have a three-year contract, and this is the last home game of my three years. So whatever happens, happens after this. But I can’t be anything but proud.”

The Rockets are headed to the next stage of the rebuild, and it could be accelerated with some lottery luck if they land the top pick. It’s uncertain whether Silas will get a chance to be a part of it. He has not spoken with GM Rafael Stone or team owner Tilman Fertitta about his future.

Whichever way it shakes out, Silas is happy for the experience.

“I learned a lot about myself,” Silas said. “I learned a lot about coaching in the NBA. I’ve learned a lot about dealing with adversity. I’m just grateful for the opportunity to coach this team. I’m grateful to have the Rockets’ logo on my chest. I’m just grateful.”

Boban Marjanovic Among Finalists For Sportsmanship Award

April 4th, 2023 at 9:36am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has announced six finalists – one from each division – for its 2022/23 Sportsmanship Award (Twitter link). Those players are Heat big man Bam Adebayo, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, Cavaliers guard Darius Garland, Kings forward Harrison Barnes, Timberwolves guard Mike Conley, and Rockets big man Boban Marjanovic.

Coachin Change In Houston May Not Be Sure Thing

April 3rd, 2023 at 11:05am CST by Arthur Hill

Kelly Iko of The Athletic addresses the Rockets‘ coaching situation, suggesting it’s not certain that Stephen Silas will be replaced after the season ends. He says it’s possible Silas will be brought back for another year with more veterans on the roster, although the front office will explore other options such as Ime Udoka, Frank Vogel or Nick Nurse if he becomes available.

Final Check-In On Open NBA Roster Spots

April 2nd, 2023 at 9:57am CST by Luke Adams

With just one week left in the NBA’s regular season, there are still a number of teams around the league with open roster spots, and there’s little downside to filling those openings before the regular season ends.

For playoff teams, adding one more player would create a little extra depth in the event of postseason injuries or garbage-time minutes. For non-playoff teams, it makes sense to try to convince a young player to accept a multiyear deal that includes little or no guaranteed money beyond this season, since it gives those teams another option for next year’s roster.

Even clubs over the luxury tax line or right up against it shouldn’t have a problem paying one more player a prorated minimum salary for the last day or two of the season — the prorated minimum for a veteran on a rest-of-season deal is just $10,552 per day, which is a drop in the bucket for NBA franchises.

With all that in mind, it’s safe to assume that some – if not all – of the teams with open roster spots should fill them by next Sunday. Here are those teams:

Boston Celtics
Brooklyn Nets *
Charlotte Hornets *
Houston Rockets
Los Angeles Lakers
New York Knicks
Phoenix Suns ^
Utah Jazz #

The two teams marked with an asterisk (*) here technically have full 15-man rosters as of today, but one of their players is on a 10-day contract. That’s Moses Brown for the Nets and Xavier Sneed for the Hornets. Both of those contracts run through Thursday night before expiring, so Brooklyn and Charlotte will have the opportunity to sign a player to a rest-of-season or multiyear deal at that time.

The Suns (^) have a full 15-man standard roster but have an open two-way contract slot alongside Saben Lee. It’s possible Phoenix won’t bother signing someone to fill that opening, since two-way players aren’t eligible to play in the postseason and the Suns don’t have a G League affiliate (the NBAGL season is just about over anyway).

As for the Jazz (#), they currently have one open spot on their 15-man standard roster and will open up a second when Luka Samanic‘s 10-day contract expires on Thursday night. So Utah could technically bring in two new players before season’s end without waiving anyone.

The rest of the teams on this list – the Celtics, Rockets, Lakers, and Knicks – are carrying 14 players on standard contracts, leaving one spot available.

Boston and New York are postseason-bound and L.A. is in good position to join them, but that doesn’t necessarily mean each of those teams will sign a “win-now” veteran as a 15th man. They already have enough depth on their respective rosters that they may prefer to promote a player from the G League on a multiyear deal, assuming they decide to fill those openings at all. Boston and L.A. are taxpayers, so a signing would cost them a little more than just $10,552 per day.

Raptors’ Nurse Says He’ll Evaluate Future After Season

April 1st, 2023 at 7:59am CST by Luke Adams

Nick Nurse‘s future in Toronto has been a subject of speculation as of late, with multiple reports this week suggesting there has been some league-wide chatter about Nurse’s status. Asked on Friday about those rumors, the Raptors head coach could have poured cold water on them, but his response only added more fuel, writes Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca.

“I think when this season gets done, we’ll evaluate everything,” Nurse told reporters. “Even personally, I’m going to take a few weeks to see where I’m at, where my head’s at, and just see how the relationship with the organization is and everything. It’s been 10 years for me now, which is a pretty good run.”

Nurse has been the head coach in Toronto since 2018 and was an assistant with the franchise under Dwane Casey for five years before that. It has been the Raptors’ most successful decade since entering the NBA in 1995, and Nurse has had a major hand in that success, leading the team to its first ever championship in 2019 and a 224-161 (.582) record across his five seasons.

However, the last three years have been more up and down than the first two. Toronto was just 27-45 in 2020/21 — that appeared at the time to be an aberration due to the fact that the team was forced to play its home games in Tampa due to COVID-19. Following a 48-win showing in 2021/22 though, this season has also been an underwhelming one. The Raptors currently sit under .500 (38-39) with just five games left to play, resulting in speculation about Nurse’s future.

Nurse’s contract expires after the 2023/24 season, and sources with knowledge of the situation tell Lewenberg that the 55-year-old doesn’t want to go into next season as a “lame-duck” coach. So, assuming he wants to continue coaching in Toronto, he’ll be seeking an extension this spring.

That means the Raptors will essentially have to make a decision this year, one way or the other, on Nurse’s future. Both directions – retaining Nurse or making a change – seem plausible at this time, Lewenberg writes, while Eric Koreen of The Athletic says a coaching change feels more likely than not.

Determining Nurse’s future will be just one part of a big offseason for the Raptors, who also have Fred VanVleet, Jakob Poeltl, and Gary Trent Jr. facing potential free agency.

Ime Udoka has been linked to the Raptors as a possible target if they do move on from Nurse. As Koreen points out, Udoka interviewed for the team’s head coaching job in 2018 and has been associated with Basketball Without Borders, which works closely with Masai Ujiri‘s Giants of Africa initiative. Of course, the off-court incident that ended Udoka’s tenure in Boston would be a complicating factor for the Raptors or any other team interested in pursuing the former Celtics head coach.

Nurse, meanwhile, has been linked to Houston, where head coach Stephen Silas isn’t a lock to return next season. Nurse coached the Rockets‘ G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, from 2011-13 before joining the Raptors.

Grizzlies’ Lofton Named G League Rookie Of The Year

March 31st, 2023 at 11:57am CST by Luke Adams

First-year forward Kenneth Lofton Jr., who is on a two-way contract with the Grizzlies, has been named the G League Rookie of the Year for the 2022/23 season, according to the NBA (Twitter link).

Lofton has appeared in just 19 games and averaged only 5.5 MPG at the NBA level in his first professional season after signing with the Grizzlies as an undrafted free agent out of Louisiana Tech. However, he played a major role for the Memphis Hustle, the team’s G League affiliate.

In 17 regular season games for the Hustle, Lofton averaged a double-double (20.2 PPG, 10.5 RPG) despite logging a modest 28.6 minutes per night. He shot 53.9% from the floor and also chipped in 3.9 assists and 1.2 steals per contest. Lofton’s performance helped the Hustle secure the No. 2 seed in the NBAGL’s Western Conference with a 23-9 record.

Lofton will be eligible for restricted free agency this summer, since his two-way contract only covers the 2022/23 season.

According to the NBA (Twitter link), Warriors two-way guard Lester Quinones and Rockets two-way forward Darius Days finished second and third, respectively, in Rookie of the Year voting.

Quinones averaged 21.8 PPG, 7.0 RPG, and 4.8 APG in 31 G League regular season games (32.0 MPG) for the Santa Cruz Warriors, while Days put up 24.4 PPG and 9.7 RPG on .486/.371/.857 shooting in 29 contests (35.6 MPG) for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

Southwest Notes: Irving, Doncic, Kennard, Rockets

March 30th, 2023 at 11:08pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

All-Star Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving acknowledged that things have not gone smoothly since he arrived in Dallas last month and teamed up with fellow All-Star guard Luka Doncic, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

“I think that now, again, just where we are in the season, and where other teams are positioned already, it kind of looks like a bit of a clusterf—, to be honest with you,” Irving said. “Because we’re 37-40, and we’re trying to fight to get into the play-in game. It’s not the expectations I don’t think any of us had in that locker room.”

The team has gone 6-14 across its last 20 games and is currently on the outside of the Western Conference looking in, as the No. 11 seed.

“I just have to be at peace with where I am and which I am, and trust of the guys that I’m going to be in that war room with every single day,” Irving said. “So, I’m appreciative of them giving me the opportunity. It’s been nothing but great here. And I’ve been at peace.”

There’s more out of the Southwest Division:

The Mavericks‘ most recent loss, a 116-108 defeat Wednesday against the Sixers, could help accelerate the end of the burgeoning on-court partnership of Doncic and Irving, writes Tim Cato of The Athletic. The team has just five games left and is currently one game behind the West’s tenth-seeded Thunder. As Cato notes, Irving could leave in free agency, which would be an indictment of the Mavericks’ team-building, coaching, and extant personnel.
Grizzlies reserve guard Luke Kennard may not have been the buzziest trade deadline roster addition, but he could be a crucial X-factor for Memphis in the playoffs, opines Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.
Like every other tanking team this season, the rebuilding 18-59 Rockets are hoping to nab the No. 1 pick in this year’s NBA draft, almost certain to be high-upside prospect Victor Wembanyama. Kelly Iko of The Athletic takes a look at a variety of lottery selection scenarios for the Rockets, who are in position to claim – at worst – a top-six or -seven pick.

Rockets’ Martin Meets RFA Starter Criteria

March 28th, 2023 at 12:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Rockets forward Kenyon Martin Jr. has met the “starter criteria” for potential restricted free agents by being part of Houston’s starting lineup for at least 41 games this season.

When a player meets the starter criteria, the value of his qualifying offer increases. Martin’s QO at the end of this season would now be $5,216,324 (up from approximately $2.3MM), the equivalent of 100% of the rookie scale amount for a No. 21 pick from the 2019 draft class.

However, there’s no guarantee that Martin will actually become a restricted free agent at season’s end. The Rockets hold a $1.93MM team option on the 22-year-old for the 2023/24 season and could simply exercise that option to keep him under contract for another year.

That decision won’t be as simple as it appears on the surface though. Because this is Martin’s third NBA season, he would be eligible for restricted free agency this summer, but he’d become unrestricted if Houston picks up his option and postpones his free agency until 2024. In situations like this one, it can make sense for the club to turn down a team-friendly option in order to exert control over the player’s free agency process, rather than risk having him walk for nothing in a year.

In fact, the Rockets took that exact approach a year ago with Jae’Sean Tate, who had a 2022/23 team option but would have become an unrestricted free agent in 2023 if that option was picked up. After declining his option, Houston made Tate a restricted free agent and locked him up to a three-year, $20.6MM contract.

It remains to be seen what direction the Rockets will go with Martin, but the increased value of his qualifying offer will add a new wrinkle to the decision. If Houston turns down its team option on Martin, then tenders him a qualifying offer, he could accept the QO and put himself on track for unrestricted free agency in 2024 anyway. That’s a more plausible path now that the QO has risen in value by nearly $3MM.

Martin has played in all 76 of the Rockets’ games this season, establishing new career highs in points (12.6), rebounds (5.5), and assists (1.5) per game, as well as field-goal percentage (57.2%). There were whispers in the fall that he spoke to management about a possible trade, but those rumors died down as he took on an increased role.

Martin was said in November to be open to a contract extension, so if they want to keep him, the Rockets will likely try to engage in extension negotiations to get a sense of his price before making a decision on his 2023/24 option.

Martin is the fourth potential restricted free agent to meet the starter criteria this season, joining P.J. Washington, Tre Jones, and Ayo Dosunmu. Cameron Johnson, Matisse Thybulle, and Grant Williams all still have a chance to get there before the regular season ends.