- Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler are the free agents most likely to want to join the Clippers if they can open two max salary slots, Amick adds in the same column. However, he adds that sources have told him L.A.’s interest in signing Butler is “slim to none.” Amick also expects the Clippers to be among the teams submitting a trade offer to the Pelicans for Anthony Davis.
Within the last few years, the practice of an NBA head coach holding general manager duties has become less common — Mike Budenholzer, Stan Van Gundy, and Tom Thibodeau held those dual roles in Atlanta, Detroit, and Minnesota respectively, but ultimately parted ways with those organizations.
The only coach who had his front-office duties removed but still remains with the same team is Doc Rivers, who continues to coach the Clippers despite no longer serving as the club’s GM. Speaking to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (podcast link), Rivers admitted that the GM job was “too big” to do on his own, adding that he felt comfortable transitioning out of it as long as he still had some input in personnel decisions.
The fact that the Clippers promoted Lawrence Frank to run their front office, rather than making an outside hire, also allowed Rivers to feel comfortable making the adjustment.
“I’m the one who brought Lawrence in,” Rivers told Wojnarowski. “It would have been interesting if they said, ‘We’re taking your power away and we’re going to hire someone else.’ … There’s no way I would’ve been here without Lawrence staying.”
The change in title for Rivers has been a success, as his work on the sidelines for the 2018/19 Clippers represents perhaps the best coaching performance of his long career.
As we wait to see how far Rivers can take the Clippers in the postseason, let’s round up a few more Pacific notes…
- Moving from the Grizzlies to the Clippers at last month’s trade deadline will pay off financially for forward JaMychal Green, who secured a $200K bonus when L.A. clinched a spot in the postseason on Tuesday, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. That incentive had been included in the two-year deal Green signed with Memphis back in 2017.
- In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Marks previews the Kings‘ offseason, which will see the team facing decisions on a handful of key contributors. Bogdan Bogdanovic and Buddy Hield will become eligible for contract extensions, while Willie Cauley-Stein will reach restricted free agency.
- After never missing more than 13 games in a season during his first 15 years in the NBA, LeBron James will miss at least 20 in 2018/19 due to injuries and rest. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst explores whether this season is a blip on the radar for James, or whether the Lakers should plan on nagging injury concerns becoming the “new normal” for the 34-year-old going forward.
While Kawhi Leonard‘s future beyond this season remains very much up in the air, some Raptors officials have become increasingly confident about their chances of re-signing the star forward, sources tell Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca.
As Lewenberg details in his story, Toronto’s handling of Leonard’s health has gone a long way toward establishing a trust between the team and the player, and things appear to be trending in the right direction as the season winds down. While the club’s success – or lack thereof – in the playoffs figures to be a major factor in his decision, the Raptors’ 12-month head start at earning Kawhi’s confidence could give them a leg up on the Clippers and other suitors, Lewenberg writes.
The Raptors’ pitch this summer figures to center on that trust and familiarity, as well as the franchise’s commitment to chasing a title — not to mention the extra year and money Toronto can offer. However, as Lewenberg notes, the Raps’ investment in keeping Leonard healthy will also play a major part in that pitch.
Although their “load management” approach to Kawhi’s health has earned some criticism and has been the butt of a few jokes this season, the Raptors recognized that the former Defensive Player of the Year prioritizes having a long and healthy career, and have made an effort to work toward that goal.
Team sources tell Lewenberg that even some people within the Raptors’ organization have been skeptical about the load-management approach, but Kawhi and director of sports science Alex McKechnie are in “constant communication” about his health, and the strategy has worked so far.
The details of Leonard’s falling out with the Spurs have never been fully revealed, but there’s a belief that the organization lost Kawhi’s trust due to its handling of his quad injury, including the leak that he had been medically cleared. The Raptors have been cautious not to make the same mistakes, keeping the forward’s medical details close to the vest, Lewenberg writes.
Leonard is hard to read and hasn’t given any public clues as to his offseason decision, but people close to him say he has looked “more and more comfortable” in Toronto as the season goes on, says Lewenberg. The Raptors will have to hope that translates into a long-term commitment to the team this July.
- Guard Justin Bibbs has yet to make his NBA debut but he’s thrilled about his opportunity with the Clippers, David Yapkowitz of Basketball Insiders writes. Bibbs signed a second 10-day contract with the club on Saturday but he’s been playing on their G League affiliate, the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario. “I’m happy that my play has been rewarded, that the organization believed in me enough to give me a 10-day. Its motivation for me to keep going,” Bibbs said.
With just over two weeks left in the 2018/19 regular season, we’re getting a clearer picture of what this year’s draft order might look like. We’re also getting a pretty clear sense of which of the traded 2019 picks with protections will or won’t change hands this spring.
Using our 2018/19 Reverse Standings as a reference point, here’s our latest check-in on where things stand for those traded 2019 first-rounders, based on their protections.
Locks to change hands:
- Kings‘ pick to Celtics (unprotected)
- Current projection: No. 14
- Note: Pick will instead be sent to Sixers if it jumps to No. 1 (current odds: 0.5%)
- Clippers‘ pick to Celtics (top-14 protected)
- Current projection: No. 22
- Rockets‘ pick to Cavaliers (top-14 protected)
- Current projection: No. 25
- Nuggets‘ pick to Nets (top-12 protected)
- Current projection: No. 27
- Raptors‘ pick to Spurs (top-20 protected)
- Current projection: No. 29
The Raptors‘ and Nuggets‘ have been sure bets to change hands all season long. The Rockets‘ and Clippers‘ picks have now joined them in that group due to impressive surges by both teams — Houston has won 14 of its last 16 games and clinched a playoff spot last night, while the Clippers have lost just one of their last 11 contests. Both of those picks appear likely to end up in the 20s.
The Kings, meanwhile, will definitely lose their first-round selection, but its eventual destination is the only unresolved question for this group of picks. The Sixers will receive it if it’s No. 1 overall; otherwise it will head to the Celtics. As long as Sacramento remains at No. 14 in the lottery order, the odds of the pick jumping all the way up to No. 1 would be just 0.5%, so it’s probably safe to assume it’ll end up in Boston.
Locks to be protected:
- Cavaliers‘ pick to Hawks (top-10 protected)
- Current projection: No. 3
- Bucks‘ pick to Suns (top-3 and 17-30 protected)
- Current projection: No. 30
The Cavaliers are unlikely to fall further than No. 4 in the lottery order, which means the furthest that their pick could slip would be to No. 8. They’ll keep their pick, and will owe the Hawks a top-10 protected pick in 2020.
As for the Bucks, they’ll almost certainly convey the first-rounder they owe to the Suns next season, when it’s just top-7 protected.
Still up in the air:
- Grizzlies‘ pick to Celtics (top-8 protected)
- Current projection: No. 6/7 (tie)
- Current projection: No. 6/7 (tie)
- Mavericks‘ pick to Hawks (top-5 protected)
- Current projection: No. 6/7 (tie)
Currently, the Grizzlies and Mavericks are deadlocked at 29-44, so the final nine games for the two teams could go a long way toward determining whether or not they’ll keep their first-rounders. The Celtics and Hawks could each end up receiving top-10 picks, depending on how things play out.
The Grizzlies would actually prefer to convey that pick this year so that they can move forward with their rebuild without worrying about a future commitment. If they can win some games down the stretch, their odds of giving up that first-rounder should increase drastically — Washington (30-44) and New Orleans (31-44) are both bunched up with Memphis and Dallas in the 6-9 range of the lottery standings.
The difference between finishing sixth and ninth in the lottery order is significant. The No. 6 team will have a 37.2% chance at a top-five pick and a 96.2% chance of remaining in the top eight. The No. 9 team will have just a 20.2% chance of moving up.
This race is one worth keeping a close eye during the final two weeks of the season, though each pick’s owner won’t be officially finalized until lottery night.
Information from RealGM was used in the creation of this post.
Today’s game with the Clippers barely mattered to the Knicks; it’s the summer battle over free agents that’s going to be important, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. There have been whispers around the league that New York is in good position to land Kevin Durant and another elite free agent after clearing tons of cap room with the Kristaps Porzingis trade.
However, the Clippers could be the toughest obstacle in the Knicks’ way. They can already offer one maximum contract and might have plans to unload enough salary to hand out another. Plus, as Berman notes, they have a playoff team already in place, while New York is at the bottom of the league standings. The battle of owners — the gregarious Steve Ballmer vs. the enigmatic James Dolan — may be the biggest mismatch of all.
“I’m not going to give you my spiel, man,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said when reporters asked how he would sell free agents on L.A. over New York. “Come on. Other than the weather, we’re going to stop there. No, I don’t talk about free agency a lot.”
There’s more from New York:
- Getting their 60th loss wasn’t the worst thing that happened to the Knicks this afternoon, Berman adds in a separate story. Kevin Knox and Frank Ntilikina, lottery picks from the past two seasons, left the game with injuries a few minutes apart. Ntilikina aggravated a groin strain that kept him out for 24 games before he returned Friday. It could mark the end of his time in New York, as the Knicks are expected to make him available in trades this summer. Knox suffered a sprained right ankle, but coach David Fizdale called it “day to day” and said he’s optimistic that it won’t be a long-term issue.
- The Knicks’ lack of a veteran core has exposed Knox’s weaknesses as a main option for the offense, observes Steve Popper of Newsday. Fizdale contrasts his situation with Tayshaun Prince‘s, who had limited skills as a rookie but was surrounded by veterans in Detroit. “Kevin’s warts show, because everybody else is screwing up, too,” Fizdale said. “So we can’t tuck him away and hide those things right now. But I think going through this is as good as going through it with veterans, because this fast-tracks you.”
- Mitchell Robinson has already set a Knicks’ rookie record with 137 blocks, and Fizdale believes he can develop into a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, relays Peter Botte of The New York Post.
The Clippers have inked guard Justin Bibbs to a second 10-day contract, the team announced on Saturday (Twitter link). Los Angeles assigned Bibbs to the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario.
Bibbs, 23, joined the Clippers on his first 10-day deal on March 13. Since then, he has appeared in four games with the team’s G League affiliate, averaging 9.8 PPG and 4.3 RPG. In 48 total NBAGL games, Bibbs has averaged 11.6 PPG and 3.1 RPG for the Maine Red Claws and Clippers.
The Dayton, Ohio native went undrafted out of Virginia Tech last year and was in training camp with the Celtics before being waived prior to the start of the season.
- Players on the Clippers appreciate the long-term commitment given by head coach Doc Rivers this week, Mirjam Swanson of the Orange County Register writes. Rivers revealed that he and team owner Steve Ballmer verbally agreed on a contract extension last summer, one that will likely become official in the coming months. “It’s gonna be fun,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Obviously, I like playing for Doc. Good coach. He’s helped me get better in ways I couldn’t have imagined. The fact that he’s committed to us the same way we’re committed to him every night on the floor is cool.”
Everyone is going to the Lakers — or at least that’s what the rumor mill might lead readers to believe. The latest subject of Lakers-related speculation was Doc Rivers, as there were whispers that he might be considering leaving the Clippers for the club’s intra-city rivals. Rivers dismissed that idea today.
“I have a job and the Lakers have a coach,” Rivers said, via Ben Golliver of the Washington Post (Twitter link). “I’m going nowhere. I can tell you that, straight, up front. I’m going to be here until [Clippers owner] Steve Ballmer says get out. I plan on being here a long time.”
Ballmer previously reworked Rivers’ contract, allowing him an opt-out in 2019. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), that extension has been again reworked into a longer deal.
“This summer, we decided to extend my contract,” Rivers explained. “…[Steve] did something I don’t think any owner would do. He gave me an out where I could opt out this summer.
“We wanted to test each other, we thought this was the right fit, but we wanted to make sure. As my dad said, ‘Trust everybody, but cut the cards.’ It was one of those things.
“Early this year, we both decided let’s end this thing, take this out, extend it and make it a longer deal. We’ve long decided on that but we chose not to say anything about it.
“…Steve was a man of his word. He gave a coach a chance to do what he wanted to do. This coach chose to stay right where he’s at and I’m very happy about it.”
The exact terms of the extension have not yet been made public, but Rivers said that his job “is not done,” adding that one of the reasons he came to the Clippers was to win a championship. Another goal was to make the franchise a free agent destination.
What’s clear is that Rivers plans to be part of the Clippers’ free agent pitches this summer as they compete with the Lakers and many other teams for top available talent.
With 12 games to go, the Lakers are not mathematically eliminated from the postseason. However, they have less than a one percent chance to make the NBA’s second season, according to FiveThirtyEight’s playoff probabilities. The Clippers, on the other hand, have yet to officially clinch, but the franchise has slightly higher than a 99% chance to make the playoffs.
Both results are far from what many predicted prior to the season. As the two teams head in opposite directions, let’s take a look at some more notes from Southern California:
- Clippers head coach Doc Rivers believes teams are giving up on young prospects too early, citing the Lakers trading away D’Angelo Russell, as Brian Lewis of The New York Post relays. “You look at each draft and there’s guys that come out at 19 and they don’t take off right away. They get moved around, and the next thing you know, they’re players. It happens more than we know, and it happened to D’Angelo,” Rivers explained.
- The Clippers‘ bench sets the team apart and while it’s easy to point to two-time Sixth Man of the Year winner Lou Williams, the unit is deeper than one player, Martin Rogers of USA Today writes. “A lot of people would love to have one game changer in that role. We have two of them,” Rivers said referring to Williams and Montrezl Harrell. “To be able to do it you have to have that personality where you say, ‘I am going to come in and just grab the moment.'”
- The Lakers should bench LeBron James for the remainder of the season, Arash Markazi of The Los Angeles Times contends. Markazi believes the team needs to focus on making sure James is healthy heading into next season and not worry about the improbable chance it has to make the playoffs.