Newsstand Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Spurs Haven’t Shown Much Interest In Trae Young

May 16th, 2024 at 9:24am CST by Dana Gauruder

Trae Young could be an ideal fit for the Spurs. However, San Antonio has thus far shown little interest in acquiring the Hawks point guard, sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. Fischer’s story echoes a couple other reports from the past month that have downplayed the idea of Young ending up in San Antonio.

The Hawks, who unexpectedly landed the top overall pick via the draft lottery, are widely expected to consider trade scenarios that would break up their backcourt of Young and Dejounte Murray. Atlanta scoured the league to gauge interest in all of its players prior to February’s trade deadline with the exception of forward Jalen Johnson, Fischer notes.

San Antonio has no clear long-term floor leader and it’s expected the Spurs will explore their options to find a pick-and-roll partner for Victor Wembanyama. Yet multiple league figures tell Fischer that San Antonio’s interest in trading for Young has been vastly overstated.

The two teams could be doing some business together this summer, whether or not it involves Young. San Antonio holds the No. 4 and No. 8 picks, making it a natural trade partner if the Hawks choose to move down. The franchises, of course, completed the Murray blockbuster two summers ago and Atlanta’s front office duo of general manager Landry Fields and assistant GM Onsi Saleh began their careers in the Spurs’ front office.

As for Young, the Lakers hold some interest in him and now have three first-rounders available to trade. Los Angeles will have to consider other options before committing any type of capital for Young, Fischer adds, though Donovan Mitchell might be off the table if he signs an extension.

The Lakers are still pondering their coaching options and they might wait until next month to make that hire, Fischer confirms in a separate story. That’s primarily due to their interest in J.J. Redick. His current obligation to ESPN/ABC for the network’s postseason schedule and NBA Finals has various insiders under the impression Los Angeles’ search may stretch into June, as Marc Stein previously reported.

The Lakers have numerous candidates on their list, but James Borrego has been widely categorized as the experienced, veteran foil to Redick’s candidacy, Fischer writes. The former Hornets head man and current Pelicans assistant has maintained close ties with Anthony Davis since Davis was a rookie and Borrego was an assistant for the then-Hornets.

In other coaching news, Mike Brown’s contract extension talks with the Kings are expected to center around an eight-figure threshold and a Tom Thibodeau extension with the Knicks is also expected to reach those figures, Fischer notes.

“Growing Sentiment” Mitchell Will Sign Extension With Cavs

May 15th, 2024 at 11:59pm CST by Rory Maher

While there are reportedly teams waiting to make trade offers for him if he decides not to sign, there is a “growing sentiment” around the NBA that Donovan Mitchell will wind up inking a maximum-salary extension with the Cavaliers this offseason, according to Shams Charania, Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd of The Athletic.

A four-year extension for Mitchell is projected to be worth $200MM+. A new deal would require Mitchell to decline his $37.1MM player option for 2025/26.

A five-time All-Star, Mitchell played at an All-NBA level again in his second season with Cleveland, averaging 26.6 PPG and career highs of 5.1 RPG, 6.1 APG and 1.8 SPG. However, the 27-year-old was limited to 55 games, largely due to a left knee injury, and is thus ineligible for an All-NBA nod.

Even if he had made an All-NBA team, Mitchell would have been ineligible for a super-max extension, since he was traded from Utah to Cleveland two years after signing his rookie scale extension.

Mitchell signing a new long-term deal with the Cavs after they gave up a major haul of assets to acquire him two years ago is theoretically a major positive for the organization. However, sources tell The Athletic that if Mitchell re-ups with Cleveland, Darius Garland‘s agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, “would have a conversation with Cavs officials on potentially finding a new home for the one-time All-Star.”

The fit of Garland and Mitchell, two diminutive guards who are at their best with the ball in their hands, has long been a question mark. The same is true of the big man pairing of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.

According to The Athletic’s trio, Wasserman, which represents Mobley, tried to convince Cleveland not to draft him a few years ago — the agency wanted him to land with the Thunder, who unsuccessfully tried to trade for Cleveland’s (at the time) No. 3 overall pick. The Cavs ignored that ploy, and have maintained a “healthy and positive” relationship with Mobley and his representatives since then.

Mobley, 22, is eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer. He finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting in ’22/23.

As for Allen, the former All-Star is coming off a strong season and is on a very reasonable contract ($40MM over the next two seasons). But the rib contusion that sidelined him for the team’s final eight playoff games reportedly “caused frustration toward him in at least some corners of the organization with teammates and staff members who felt he could have done more” to attempt to suit up — according to The Athletic, Allen “refused an injection to try and numb the pain to play.”

J.B. Bickerstaff’s Future With Cavs In “Serious Jeopardy”

May 15th, 2024 at 10:22pm CST by Rory Maher

The shorthanded Cavaliers were eliminated from the postseason by Boston on Wednesday night. Following the second-round ouster, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff‘s position with the team is in “serious jeopardy,” league sources tell Shams Charania, Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd of The Athletic.

Both The Athletic and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link) state that Cleveland plans to take a few days to evaluate Bickerstaff’s job performance. Defeating Orlando in the first round marked the first playoff series the Cavs have won without LeBron James since 1993. And the front office “remains fond” of Bickerstaff, per Wojnarowski.

However, according to The Athletic, star guard Donovan Mitchell, who is eligible for a four-year extension this offseason, “did not have great confidence in Bickerstaff” throughout the season, and he was “not alone.” League sources tell The Athletic’s trio that a number of players have for months privately and publicly questioned the 45-year-old’s “strategies, game management, practice habits and accountability measures.”

“No one has told me I’m not (the coach), so I’ll keep showing up until they tell me not to,” Bickerstaff said when asked about his job status after Wednesday’s loss. “We’ve continued to build this thing the right way. Every single year we’ve improved, continued to get better. Play-In, playoffs.”

Following an overtime victory over Houston in December, which was the second game after Darius Garland and Evan Mobley went down with multi-week injuries, president of basketball operations Koby Altman “admonished Bickerstaff in front of his entire staff” for playing Mitchell 45-plus minutes, multiple sources tell Charania, Vardon and Lloyd. Mitchell played the entire second half and all but four seconds of overtime, the authors add.

“(Altman) got at J.B.,” one player said of the incident.

Evidently Altman was unaware at the time that Bickerstaff had asked Mitchell if he wanted a breather, and Mitchell said no. But the 26-year-old wound up missing the next four games with what the team referred to as a non-COVID illness, per The Athletic.

According to The Athletic’s trio, Bickerstaff makes approximately $5MM annually and is under contract through 2026. He holds a career regular season record of 255-290 (.468), including previous stops with Houston and Memphis.

Thunder Move Josh Giddey To Bench For Game 5

May 15th, 2024 at 9:13pm CST by Rory Maher

The Thunder made a change to their starting line up on Wednesday night, benching Josh Giddey in favor of Isaiah Joe to optimize floor spacing for Game 5 of their semifinal matchup with Dallas, writes Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman. The series is currently tied at two games apiece.

The No. 6 overall pick of the 2021 draft, Giddey had started all 218 games — including the postseason — of his three-year career prior to Wednesday.

As Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman wrote late last week, Giddey struggled mightily in the first two games of the series and saw his role drastically reduced — that has continued as the series has unfolded. Through four games, the 21-year-old is averaging 6.0 PPG, 2.3 RPG and 1.3 APG in just 13.3 MPG, posting a .385/.182/1.000 shooting line. The team is minus-22 in his 53 minutes on the court.

In 80 regular season games in 2023/24, Giddey averaged 12.3 PPG, 6.4 RPG and 4.8 APG on .475/.337/.806 shooting in 25.1 MPG.

The Mavericks have been daring Giddey to shoot throughout the series, playing so far off him that it clogs passing lanes and makes life difficult for his teammates. The Australian has also struggled on the other end of the court, Lorenzi added.

Still, Coach of the Year Mark Daigneault called Giddey was a “very important part” of the team’s present and future.

“What I’ve seen is three years of Josh Giddey, and he’s a very good player and a very important player to our team,” Daigneault said, per Lorenzi. “In Game 4 of New Orleans, I don’t know that we close that series if he’s not banging in shots in the fourth quarter. These games are high stakes, they’re obviously emotional. But I think it’s important with every player — good, bad — to zoom out and see the big picture. And the big picture is he’s been a very productive player for a long time. He’s 21 years old. He’s gonna be a very productive player for a long time moving forward.”

Giddey will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason.

Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell To Miss Game 5

May 15th, 2024 at 5:25pm CST by Luke Adams

5:25pm: Mitchell is out for Game 5, the team announced (Twitter link via Cavs sideline reporter Serena Winters). As we relayed in a separate story, LeVert and Allen are out as well.

10:51am: Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell is expected to miss Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Wednesday in Boston, sources tell Shams Charania and Joe Vardon of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Mitchell, who was unavailable for Game 4 due to a left calf strain, had been listed as questionable for Wednesday’s contest, which is a do-or-die game for a Cavs team trailing the Celtics 3-1 in the series. The All-Star guard admitted on Monday that his availability for Game 5 was very much up in the air.

Two other key Cleveland players are also listed as questionable: starting center Jarrett Allen (right rib contusion) and sixth man turned starter Caris LeVert (left knee bone bruise). None of the three players were on the floor when reporters were let into the Cavs’ shootaround on Wednesday morning, though Mitchell and LeVert did later come onto the court, notes Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter links).

Allen has missed seven straight playoff games as a result of his rib injury, while LeVert reportedly aggravated his knee issue in Game 4, which he started in Mitchell’s place.

Barring some last-minute good news on Mitchell’s status – or a big-time upset on Wednesday by a Cleveland team listed as a 16-point underdog – there’s a chance the 27-year-old has played his last game as a Cavalier. He’ll enter a potential contract year this offseason and if he doesn’t sign an extension, the Cavs will have a major decision to make on his future, with rival teams already said to be preparing their trade offers.

Donovan Mitchell Out For Game 4 Due To Calf Strain

May 13th, 2024 at 5:08pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Cavaliers leading scorer Donovan Mitchell will miss Game 4 against the Celtics tonight due to a left calf strain, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.

The absence of Mitchell puts Cleveland in a dire situation as it tries to even the series. The Cavs trail the top-seeded Celtics, 2-1, after losing Game 3 on their home floor.

Mitchell was listed as questionable to play on Sunday’s injury report. Concern grew when he didn’t take part in the open portion of the team’s shootaround, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reports. Mitchell watched film and underwent treatment but did not warm up for the game.

“Just the other night, toward the back end of that fourth quarter, it just started to build on him and became sore,” Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said.

Mitchell scored a team-high 33 points in 43 minutes in Game 3.

Starting center Jarrett Allen also remains out due to a bruised rib. He hasn’t played since Game 4 of the team’s first-round series vs. Orlando.

Caris LeVert will start in place of Mitchell, while Isaac Okoro continues to start in Allen’s spot.

Mitchell Robinson Undergoes Another Ankle Surgery

May 13th, 2024 at 4:18pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Knicks center Mitchell Robinson underwent a surgical procedure on his left ankle today, Ian Begley of SNY TV tweets.

Robinson was ruled out for the remainder of the postseason last week after he sustained a stress injury to the ankle. At that time, it was reported that he wouldn’t require surgery.

That changed after additional consideration by his surgeon and the Knicks’ medical staff. Begley adds that it was a minor procedure. Robinson will still be reevaluated in six-to-eight weeks, which was the same timetable given last week.

Robinson underwent surgery on the same ankle in December. He didn’t return until March 27.

Overall, Robinson only appeared in 31 regular season games and six postseason contests. He has two years remaining on his four-year, front-loaded $60MM contract.

Robinson also underwent surgery for a thumb injury last season.

Pistons Hoping To Hire Tim Connelly As President Of Basketball Operations?

May 13th, 2024 at 10:55am CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons appear to be targeting Timberwolves president Tim Connelly in their search for a new president of basketball operations, according to James L. Edwards III and Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Sources tell Edwards and Charania that Connelly is expected to opt out of the final year of his contract with Minnesota this summer. Although it seems likely that he’ll sign a long-term deal with the Wolves, the authors speculate that Detroit owner Tom Gores could potentially land him with an aggressive offer in the range of $15MM per year.

The Pistons’ search for someone to run the front office has moved slowly since it was announced. The Bucks reportedly denied permission for Detroit to interview team president Jon Horst, and former Trail Blazers executive Neil Olshey refused an invitation to interview for the job.

The Pistons have moved onto other candidates, with the authors hearing that Pelicans general manager Trajan Langdon, Mavericks consultant Dennis Lindsey and Bulls general manager Marc Eversley have become “viable targets” for the role.

In the same piece, Edwards and Charania speculate that falling to No. 5 in the draft lottery may boost leaguewide interest in the Pistons’ first-round pick. Because there’s not a set tier of players at the top of this year’s draft, rival teams may believe the fifth pick could bring a talent similar to the top choice. It also comes at a significant discount, as the authors note that last year’s No. 1 pick, Victor Wembanyama, will earn between $12MM and $16MM for the rest of his rookie contract, while No. 5 pick Ausar Thompson will be paid between $8.3MM and $11.1MM.

Woj: James Borrego, J.J. Redick “Names To Watch” In Lakers’ Coaching Search

May 13th, 2024 at 10:02am CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers will intensify their search for a new head coach at this week’s Draft Combine in Chicago, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (video link), who identifies James Borrego and J.J. Redick as “names to watch” in that process.

Borrego currently serves as lead assistant for the Pelicans and helped the team develop a top-10 offense by utilizing Zion Williamson as a point forward, Wojnarowski notes. Borrego was the head coach in Charlotte from 2018-22, compiling a 138-163 record in four seasons. He also went 10-20 as interim coach in Orlando at the end of the 2014/15 season and spent time as an assistant to Gregg Popovich in San Antonio as well.

Redick is a member of ESPN/ABC’s top broadcasting team and has become a prominent media figure since retiring as a player in 2021. Although he doesn’t have any coaching experience, he benefits from a close relationship with Lakers star LeBron James, who serves as his co-host on the “Mind of the Game” podcast.

Lakers officials are expected to begin contacting rival teams this week to request permission to interview their assistant coaches, Woj adds. A report on Saturday identified Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, Nuggets assistant David Adelman, Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney, and Heat assistant Chris Quinn as potential candidates, but Nori, Adelman and Sweeney are all still involved with playoff teams.

L.A. will likely conduct a “long search” and interview numerous candidates before hiring its next coach, according to Wojnarowski.

Bronny James Receives Medical Clearance, Expected To Remain In Draft

May 13th, 2024 at 8:07am CST by Arthur Hill

Bronny James‘ heart issues won’t prevent him from potentially playing in the NBA, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski and Jonathan Givony of ESPN, who report that the son of Lakers star LeBron James has received medical clearance to be drafted.

The league office will inform teams today that James has been evaluated and proclaimed healthy by three physicians from the NBA’s Fitness To Play Panel, according to the authors’ sources. That will allow him to fully participate with other top prospects in this week’s Draft Combine in Chicago.

Wojnarowski and Givony hear that James is expected to play in the combine’s 5-on-5 scrimmages, which will begin Tuesday. He’s hoping to make an impact on scouts, coaches and team executives following an underwhelming season at USC, where he averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 19.4 minutes per game.

James was projected as a potential first-round pick in some circles last fall, but he’s now viewed as a marginal prospect to be drafted. He’s ranked 98th on ESPN’s Big Board, though teams may be tempted to select him in hopes that it will help lure his father in free agency.

His disappointing performance could have been related to his medical problems that began last July when he collapsed on the court during a workout and suffered cardiac arrest. James underwent a procedure to treat a congenital heart defect and was eventually able to resume playing with no restrictions.

He will enter the pre-draft process with an option to return to college if he’s not encouraged about his draft prospects. The deadline for that decision is May 29, and the authors note that he has decided to explore the transfer portal if he opts to withdraw from the draft.

However, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic that James is expected to remain in the draft regardless of what happens at the combine and beyond (Twitter link).