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Lou Williams Expected To Play In Restart; Beal Still Undecided

July 2nd, 2020 at 9:48am CST by Luke Adams

Seven players so far have opted out of the NBA’s restart this summer, but Clippers guard Lou Williams is unlikely to join that group. Despite previously expressing uncertainty about his status, Williams is expected to suit up for the Clippers as they pursue a title at Walt Disney World, head coach Doc Rivers said on Wednesday.

“As far as Lou, all indications (are) that yes, he is (playing),” Rivers said on a Zoom call, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com. “Obviously, up until we get on the plane, anything can happen. But I do expect Lou to be with us. I would be very surprised if he’s not.”

Meanwhile, another high-scoring guard, Bradley Beal, remains uncertain about his status for Orlando, as Youngmisuk writes in a separate story. Beal’s teammate Davis Bertans has already pulled out due to injury concerns ahead of his upcoming free agency. Beal’s backcourt mate and fellow All-Star John Wall won’t be in attendance either, as he continues to focus on his Achilles rehab and a 2020/21 return.

According to Youngmisuk, Beal is considering health factors too as he weighs his options.

“I have yet to make (my decision),” Beal told reporters on Wednesday. “I am still working my tail off every single day as if I am playing. It is more or less a decision that will come down to the medical staff and coming back from zero to 100, and then I have some nagging stuff from the end of the year that we are trying to clean up, too. We are looking at it from all angles. I am definitely working out every single day here. It is good to be back in the facility. … I am not swayed one way or another.”

Here’s more on certain players’ participation decisions:

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Victor Oladipo Remains Undecided About Playing

July 1st, 2020 at 11:13am CST by Dana Gauruder

Pacers guard Victor Oladipo remains undecided whether he’ll play in Orlando, but he’ll be included on the team’s travel party list, according to ESPN’s Eric Woodyard.

Oladipo, who spoke with the media via Zoom on Wednesday morning, has some concerns about suffering an injury setback. Oladipo endured a long-term rehab for his surgically repaired quad tendon and returned to action in late January.

He appeared in 13 games before play was halted, averaging 13.8 PPG in 25.9 MPG. He scored a season-high 27 points in 29 minutes against Boston in Indiana’s last game on March 10.

“At the end of the day, it takes time for your body to heal,” he said. “They’re sure I feel better, but at the same time we’ve had an extensive period of time off and to go back and ramp things up again, I’m susceptible to injury more so than anyone else, seeing as how I was already injured beforehand and I wasn’t 100 percent when I came back to begin with.”

Oladipo went on to elaborate about his injury risk. He’ll be playing on an expiring contract next season, when he makes $21MM. Indiana enters the Orlando bubble with the Eastern Conference’s fifth-best record at 39-26.

“A part of rehab is working your way back and getting yourself to 100 percent, so at the end of the day going back and turning things up as quickly as we’re about to do, and pretty much going to playoff formation and playoff games after eight (seeding) games, I’m more susceptible to injury than anyone else is,” he said. “So, it’s not about now, it’s about longevity.”

The Pacers have resumed mandatory individual workouts at the St. Vincent Center in Indianapolis, Woodyard notes, but are giving Oladipo space and time to make up his mind.

“I don’t have a deadline,” he said.

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Central Notes: Pacers, George, Giannis, Bulls

June 25th, 2020 at 3:17pm CST by Luke Adams

In an appearance this week on the Knuckleheads podcast with Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles, former Pacers star Paul George revisited his 2017 departure from Indiana, explaining why he felt the need to move on from the organization. According to George, “the best power forward” in the NBA had said at the time that he wanted to team up with PG13 in Indiana, but the Pacers weren’t willing to do what was necessary to make it happen.

“They’re like, ‘We’re a mid-major, we’re a small market, like, we can’t do it, we’re a small market, we can’t afford that,'” George said (per 8points9seconds.com). “I’m like, ‘The best power forward wants to come play here, like, y’all can’t make that work?’ They didn’t want to do it.”

According to J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star (Twitter links), the star power forward George is referring to is Anthony Davis. Michael also suggests that George may be overstating the Pacers’ ability to have landed AD, noting that Indiana lacked the pieces to make it happen and had no deal in place with New Orleans. It’s worth pointing out as well that the Pelicans didn’t become truly motivated to move Davis until he after he requested a trade in 2019.

Here’s more from around the Central Division:

  • Following Malcolm Brogdon‘s positive coronavirus test, coaches who have come in contact with the Pacers guard are being quarantined, a source tells J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star. Michael adds in the same story that Indiana probably won’t make any roster moves in the next week as long as none of the team’s players opt out of the summer restart.
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo was dealing with a minor knee injury when the NBA went on hiatus in March, but he’ll be ready to go when the season resumes next month, Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer tells Jackie MacMullan of ESPN. “It’s a huge advantage for us that Giannis will be completely and totally healthy,” Budenholzer said. “He’s in a great place, both mentally and physically.”
  • In his latest mailbag, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune says that new Bulls executives Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley are more likely to make modest tweaks to the roster for 2020/21 than to do anything drastic this offsesaon that breaks up the young core. The team’s two new decision-makers hope to put those young players in better position to succeed going forward, Johnson adds.
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Malcolm Brogdon Tests Positive For Coronavirus

June 24th, 2020 at 12:27pm CST by Luke Adams

12:27pm: Brogdon has confirmed his positive COVID-19 test in a statement on the Pacers’ website:

“I recently tested positive for the COVID virus and am currently in quarantine. I’m doing well, feeling well and progressing well. I plan to join my teammates in Orlando for the resumption of the NBA season and playoffs.”

12:03pm: Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon has tested positive for the coronavirus, reports J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star (via Twitter).

Teams began mandatory testing for COVID-19 on Tuesday as they prepare for the NBA restart in Orlando next month. Brogdon is the second notable player known to have tested positive this week — word broke yesterday that Nikola Jokic has also contracted the virus.

The league is bracing for a number of positive coronavirus tests this week, but those cases aren’t expected to derail the plan to resume the season. The goal is to identify players with COVID-19 now and ensure they don’t bring it with them into the Orlando bubble next month.

Brogdon and other players who test positive will quarantine until they’re symptom-free and considered fully recovered. At that point, they’ll be permitted to travel to Orlando for group workouts and training camps.

It’s not clear whether or not Brogdon is suffering from any coronavirus symptoms, but hopefully he makes a speedy recovery either way.

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Kris Dunn Meets Starter Criteria, Increases Value Of QO

June 23rd, 2020 at 12:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Bulls guard Kris Dunn has been deemed to have met the starter criteria as a result of the shortened season, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). As a result, Dunn will receive a qualifying offer of $7,091,457 instead of $4,642,800 this offseason if Chicago wants to make him a restricted free agent.

We broke down Dunn’s situation in greater depth earlier this month, but the abridged version is this: A player eligible for restricted free agency receives a more lucrative qualifying offer if he starts 41 games or plays 2,000 minutes in the season before he reaches free agency, or if he averages 41 starts or 2,000 minutes in the two seasons before his free agency.

Dunn, who started 32 games this season and 76 in total over the last two years, fell slightly short of the 41-game-per-season requirement, but the criteria became prorated due to the Bulls only playing 65 of their 82 games this season. As a result, the former No. 5 overall pick was considered to have met the starter criteria, increasing the value of his qualifying offer.

As we’ve previously pointed out, the $2.5MM difference could have a real impact on Dunn’s free agency. It’s possible the Bulls will be less inclined to tender a qualifying offer now that it’s worth $7.1MM instead of $4.6MM. If they do move ahead with the QO, it’s possible Dunn will be more inclined to accept it.

If Chicago doesn’t tender a qualifying offer to Dunn, he’d become an unrestricted free agent.

As Marks and ESPN have previously reported, the NBA and NBPA also agreed to prorate the criteria for bonuses and incentives available to players in 2019/20, based on the shortened season. As a result, the following players have now achieved bonuses, according to Marks (Twitter link):

  • Rudy Gobert (Jazz): $250K for a rate of one rebound per 2.52 minutes in 62 games played.
    • Original criteria: A rate of one rebound per <3.2 minutes in 67 games.
  • Solomon Hill (Heat): $532K for 992 minutes played.
    • Original criteria: 1,000 minutes.
  • Jrue Holiday (Pelicans): $255K for 1,922 minutes played; $255K for 55 games played; $255K for 4.9 RPG in 55 games.
    • Original criteria: 2,075 minutes played; 66 games played; 3.15 RPG in 67 games.
  • Tyus Jones (Grizzlies): $858K for 32 wins.
    • Original criteria: 33 wins.
  • Kyle Lowry (Raptors): $200K for All-Star berth and 52 games played.
    • Original criteria: All-Star berth and 65 games played.
  • Patty Mills (Spurs): $250K for 149 three-pointers made.
    • Original criteria: 185 3PM.
  • T.J. Warren (Pacers): $250K for 184 three-pointers made and .375 3PT%.
    • Original criteria: 185 3PM; .370 3PT%.
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Victor Oladipo Unsure If He’s Ready For Orlando

June 20th, 2020 at 4:23pm CST by Arthur Hill

Pacers guard Victor Oladipo will test his surgically repaired quad tendon before making a final decision on playing in Orlando, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Oladipo plans to start intense workouts next week to see how his body responds before making a commitment. He made his season debut January 29 and played in just 13 games before the hiatus, averaging 13.8 PPG in about 26 minutes per night. The former All-Star missed roughly a year of action after suffering the injury in January of 2019.

“I feel a whole lot better,” Oladipo said. “I know there’s risk going into it with the unique situation that I’m in — being off so long and trying to ramp it up that fast. I’ve just got to be smart, that’s all.”

The Pacers worked with Oladipo throughout his rehab process and were careful not to bring him back too soon, Wojnarowski adds. They will continue to watch him closely until a final decision is made.

Players face a Wednesday deadline to inform the league if they plan to report to Orlando, and teams must submit their active rosters by July 1. It’s not clear if Indiana would be able to replace Oladipo if he opts not to play, since substitute players aren’t eligible to replace players with injuries.

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2020 NBA Head Coaching Search Tracker

June 18th, 2020 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

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:
  • Previous coach:
    • Jacque Vaughn (interim)
  • Also reportedly considered:
    • Vaughn (story)
    • Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich (story)
    • Clippers assistant Tyronn Lue (story)
    • Lakers assistant Jason Kidd (story)
    • Former Knicks/Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy (story)
    • Former Warriors coach Mark Jackson (story)
    • Sixers assistant Ime Udoka (story)

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:
  • Previous coach:
  • 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:
  • 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:
  • Previous coach:
  • 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

  • New coach:
  • Previous coach:
  • Also reportedly considered:
    • Former Knicks/Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy (story)
    • Warriors associate head coach Mike Brown (story)
    • Bucks assistant Darvin Ham (story)
    • Nuggets assistant Wes Unseld Jr. (story)
    • Clippers assistant Sam Cassell (story)

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

  • New coach:
  • Previous coach:
  • Also reportedly considered:
    • Former Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni (story)
    • Former Nets coach Kenny Atkinson (story)
    • Nets interim head coach Jacque Vaughn (story)
    • Clippers assistant Tyronn Lue (story)

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:
  • 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:
  • Rumored candidates or targets:
    • Timberwolves associate head coach David Vanterpool (story)
    • Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin (story)
    • Spurs assistant Will Hardy (story)
    • Thunder assistant Brian Keefe (story)
    • Sydney Kings head coach Will Weaver (story)
    • Bucks assistant Charles Lee (story)

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

  • New coach:
  • Previous coach:
  • Rumored candidates or targets:
    • Clippers assistant Tyronn Lue (story)
    • Former Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni (story)
    • Sixers assistant Ime Udoka (story)
    • Former Grizzlies/Kings coach Dave Joerger (story)
    • Bucks assistant Darvin Ham (story)
    • Warriors associate head coach Mike Brown (story)

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.

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Justin Holiday Unsure About Going To NBA Campus

June 17th, 2020 at 9:11pm CST by ChrisCrouse

When the NBA released its six-phase plan to restart the season in Orlando, one major detail confirmed by the league was that players do not have to attend. Players would not receive their game checks in the event that they take this route, but there would be no penalty – such as a fine or suspension – beyond that.

J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star hears that Justin Holiday is the only member of the Pacers deliberating whether or not to go. Sources tell Michael that Holiday is 50/50 on joining the club in Orlando.

Holiday was one of the players on the recent Kyrie Irving-led conference call, during which the Nets point guard questioned the league for returning the play in the midst of social justice reform.

Players have until June 24 to notify their team that they will not be participating in the remainder of the season in Orlando.

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Pacers Interested In Gordon Hayward?

June 16th, 2020 at 3:47pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Gordon Hayward has the option to hit the market this offseason and the Pacers may have eyes for the former Butler wing. J.Michael of the Indianapolis Star (via NBC Sports Boston’s Celtics Talk Podcast) indicates that Indiana would have a level of interest in the 30-year-old.

“There’s no doubt (he) would be (a potential target for the Pacers),” Michael said. “…the kind of player Hayward is, is the kind of player they would definitely be interested in.”

Hayward, who has a player option on his deal for next season worth $34.2MM, can play multiple positions and that would be valuable alongside Indiana’s core.

“You can play an even more small-ball lineup,” Michael said. “Say for instance, you moved on (Myles Turner) or (Domantas Sabonis). Now you have space where you can go with real small-ball lineups and slot guys like him at the (power forward) and come up with some real diverse lineups that could give teams troubles and still have that big man/rim protector underneath to help keep the defensive integrity.”

With the COVID-19 pandemic shortening the season, the exact value of the 2020/21 salary cap is to be determined. Same with the following year. Still, Indiana has approximately $122.8MM in guaranteed contracts on the books for next season, which creates obstacles to Indiana outright signing Hayward if he were to opt to hit the market.

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Aaron Holiday Hires New Agents

June 15th, 2020 at 7:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder
  • Pacers guard Aaron Holiday has signed with BDA Sports and will be represented by veteran agent Bill Duffy and Nima Namakian, Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal tweets. Holiday is signed through at least next season. The Pacers hold an option worth approximately $4MM on his contract for the 2021/22 season.
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