Newsstand Rumors | Hoops Rumors

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).

Bucks Deny Pistons Permission To Interview Jon Horst

May 12th, 2024 at 3:35pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Pistons’ search for a new team president of basketball operations may have to go back to the drawing board.

In his latest Substack column, Marc Stein cites sources who say that the Bucks refused to allow Detroit to interview Jon Horst, despite a belief that Milwaukee’s team president was open to a conversation.

Horst was honored as the league’s Executive of the Year in 2018/19 and helped guide the Bucks to their first championship after a 50-year drought in 2021. Horst inked a long-term extension with the club that fall. Most recently, he helped orchestrate the team’s deal to acquire All-Star point guard Damian Lillard last offseason, while also re-signing aging veterans Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez to lucrative new deals.

Milwaukee underwent a tumultuous 2023/24 season. Horst hired and fired first-time head coach Adrian Griffin to lead the team’s Lillard-Giannis Antetokounmpo superstar tandem and brought in his replacement, Doc Rivers. With Jrue Holiday gone, the team’s perimeter defense fell off, though Rivers helped stabilize it somewhat when he took over. Ultimately, the Bucks finished with a 49-33 record and the East’s No. 3 seed. Lillard and Antetokounmpo were felled by injuries, and Milwaukee was upset in its first round series against the sixth-seeded Pacers.

Horst is a Michigan native whose work in the NBA began with the Pistons, so it would make sense for him to be intrigued by the opportunity to run Detroit’s front office. Conversely, it’s not a huge surprise that the Bucks wouldn’t want their top front office decision maker — who has been the architect for much of their recent success with Antetokounmpo — to be poached by a direct Central Division rival.

The Pistons, who are demoting but retaining general manager Troy Weaver, have also been linked to Mavericks consultant Dennis Lindsey and former Knicks general manager Scott Perry. Stein has previously noted that Timberwolves president Tim Connelly is viewed as a potential target if he were to opt out of his current contract, agreed to when Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore were expected to become Minnesota’s majority owners.

Detroit is coming off one of its worst seasons ever, having finished with a league-worst 14-68 record during their first year under head coach Monty Williams. Though Detroit was no doubt hoping to earn the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft thanks to its miserable 2023/24 run, the team instead fell in Sunday’s draft lottery, and will now pick fifth.

Full 2024 NBA Draft Order

May 12th, 2024 at 3:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Now that the NBA’s draft lottery results are in, the full 2024 draft order has been set.

We’ll likely see some of these picks change hands on June 26 or 27, or in the days leading up to the draft — we’ll be sure to update the list below if and when picks are traded.

Here’s the full 2024 NBA draft order:

First Round:

Atlanta Hawks
Washington Wizards
Houston Rockets (from Nets)
San Antonio Spurs
Detroit Pistons
Charlotte Hornets
Portland Trail Blazers
San Antonio Spurs (from Raptors)
Memphis Grizzlies
Utah Jazz
Chicago Bulls
Oklahoma City Thunder (from Rockets)
Sacramento Kings
Portland Trail Blazers (from Warriors)
Miami Heat
Philadelphia 76ers
Los Angeles Lakers
Orlando Magic
Toronto Raptors (from Pacers)
Cleveland Cavaliers
New Orleans Pelicans (from Bucks)
Phoenix Suns
Milwaukee Bucks (from Pelicans)
New York Knicks (from Mavericks)
New York Knicks
Washington Wizards (from Clippers)
Minnesota Timberwolves
Denver Nuggets
Utah Jazz (from Thunder)
Boston Celtics

Second Round:

Toronto Raptors (from Pistons)
Utah Jazz (from Wizards)
Milwaukee Bucks (from Trail Blazers)
Portland Trail Blazers (from Hornets)
San Antonio Spurs
Indiana Pacers (from Raptors)
Minnesota Timberwolves (from Grizzlies)
New York Knicks (from Jazz)
Memphis Grizzlies (from Nets)
Portland Trail Blazers (from Hawks)
Philadelphia 76ers (from Bulls)
Charlotte Hornets (from Rockets)
Miami Heat
Houston Rockets (from Warriors)
Sacramento Kings
Los Angeles Clippers (from Pacers)
Orlando Magic
San Antonio Spurs (from Lakers)
~~Philadelphia 76ers~~
- Note: The Sixers forfeited this second-round pick due to free agency gun-jumping.
Indiana Pacers (from Cavaliers)
Indiana Pacers (from Pelicans)
Washington Wizards (from Suns)
Golden State Warriors (from Bucks)
Detroit Pistons (from Knicks)
Boston Celtics (from Mavericks)
Los Angeles Lakers (from Clippers)
Denver Nuggets (from Timberwolves)
Memphis Grizzlies (from Thunder)
~~Phoenix Suns (from Nuggets)~~
- Note: The Suns forfeited this second-round pick due to free agency gun-jumping.
Dallas Mavericks (from Celtics)

Hawks Win 2024 NBA Draft Lottery; Wizards, Rockets, Spurs In Top 4

May 12th, 2024 at 2:27pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks have won the 2024 NBA draft lottery, jumping all the way up from No. 10 in the pre-lottery order to No. 1.

Atlanta had just a 3% chance of claiming this year’s top pick. Those are the longest odds for any team that has won the lottery since the NBA revamped the format prior to the 2019 draft.

The full lottery order for the 2024 draft is as follows:

Atlanta Hawks
Washington Wizards
Houston Rockets (from Nets)
San Antonio Spurs
Detroit Pistons
Charlotte Hornets
Portland Trail Blazers
San Antonio Spurs (from Raptors)
Memphis Grizzlies
Utah Jazz
Chicago Bulls
Oklahoma City Thunder (from Rockets)
Sacramento Kings
Portland Trail Blazers (from Warriors)

There’s no consensus No. 1 pick in 2024 like there was with Victor Wembanyama a year ago, so the Hawks will have plenty of options to consider in the coming weeks.

French big man Alexandre Sarr, French forward Zaccharie Risacher, UConn center Donovan Clingan, G League Ignite wing Ron Holland, Ignite forward Matas Buzelis, Serbian point guard Nikola Topic, and Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham are among the prospects expected to be in the mix for the top few picks.

Some of those players look like better fits than others on the current Atlanta roster, but there has been an expectation that the Hawks will make some significant changes this summer, with Trae Young and Dejounte Murray viewed as possible trade candidates. Atlanta’s front office will have to take those potential moves into account as it weighs what to do with the No. 1 pick.

Washington, Houston, and San Antonio are among the other big winners of draft lottery day. The Wizards entered the day ranked second in the pre-lottery order and no team had better odds at the top pick, but they also had just a 27.4% chance to remain in the top two, so they can’t complain about the outcome. It will be the second lottery pick for the current front office, which will get the opportunity to add another building block to last year’s No. 7 overall selection Bilal Coulibaly.

The Rockets‘ own pick at No. 12 will be sent to the Thunder as a result of 2019’s Russell Westbrook trade, but Houston will pick third overall thanks to one of the unprotected Nets first-rounders that was included in the 2021 James Harden blockbuster. Prior to the lottery, that pick had just the ninth-best odds to move into the top three (14.5%).

A report this week stated that the Rockets are interested in trading their lottery selection for future draft assets after having made nine first-round picks in the past three years. Assuming Houston’s stance hasn’t changed following the lottery results, the fact that the pick is now No. 3 instead of No. 9 should significantly improve its value on the trade market.

The Spurs, meanwhile, had an eventful lottery day, landing a pair of picks in the top eight as they look to build a contending team around Wembanyama. Their own pick moved up one spot, from No. 5 in the pre-lottery order to No. 4, and they also secured a second pick as a result of Toronto dropping from No. 6 to No. 8.

The Raptors traded their top-six protected 2024 first-round pick to San Antonio in a package for Jakob Poeltl last year and would have retained it if no teams had leapfrogged them into the top four. Because Atlanta and Houston both moved up, that No. 8 pick will be controlled by the Spurs — the Raptors’ obligation to San Antonio is complete and they’ll control all their own first-rounders beginning in 2025.

It’s another disappointing lottery day for the Pistons, who – for a second consecutive year – finished with the NBA’s worst record and ended up with the No. 5 overall pick. For what it’s worth, Detroit only had about a 50/50 chance (52.1%) in each case to land in the top four, due to the flatter nature of the odds under the NBA’s current format. Still, losing that coin flip in back-to-back years is a discouraging outcome for a Pistons team whose rebuild hasn’t progressed at the rate the organization hoped.

While no team dropped as far as the Pistons (four spots), the Hornets (No. 3 to No. 6), Trail Blazers (No. 4 to No. 7), Grizzlies (No. 7 to No. 9), and Jazz (No. 8 to No. 10) also moved back multiple spots as a result of the lottery.

If Utah had fallen one more spot, the Jazz would’ve owed their top-10 protected first-round pick to the Thunder, but that obligation will roll over to 2025 instead — the pick will retain its top-10 protection next year.

The Wizards, Pistons, Hornets, Trail Blazers, and Kings also had traded picks fall into their protected range and will owe their 2025 first-rounders to rival teams. The Knicks will receive Washington’s 2025 pick if it’s not in the top 10 and Detroit’s pick if it’s not in the top 13. The Spurs will control Charlotte’s lottery-protected 2025 pick; the Bulls would get Portland’s 2025 pick if it’s outside the lottery; and the Hawks will acquire the Kings’ 2025 first-rounder if it doesn’t end up in the top 12.

Finally, it’s worth noting that the Warriors would have retained their 2024 first-rounder in the unlikely event that it had moved into the top four. Because it stayed at No. 14, it was sent to Portland and Golden State has no further obligation to the Blazers.

Pelicans Reportedly Not Willing To Give Ingram Max Extension

May 12th, 2024 at 9:49am CST by Rory Maher

The Pelicans are entering a critical offseason, with former All-Star forward Brandon Ingram entering the final year of his contract, which will pay him $36MM in 2024/25.

According to Christian Clark of The Times-Picayune (subscription required), New Orleans tentatively plans to supplement the trio of Ingram, CJ McCollum and Zion Williamson with “better-fitting pieces.”

However, despite having an overall net rating of +4.6 during the regular season, the Pelicans were outscored when their three top scorers shared the court together, Clark writes, and there is a chance at least one of them could be traded.

As of July 1, Ingram will be eligible a four-year, maximum-salary extension projected to be worth $200MM+. While the Pelicans are “open” to the possibility of tacking more years onto his current deal, they are not willing to give him a full max contract, sources tell Clark.

Clark compares Ingram to Zach LaVine, noting that both players have put up strong individual statistics on offense but have missed extended time with injuries throughout their careers. Chicago tried — unsuccessfully — to move LaVine’s max deal during the season, and will reportedly try again this offseason.

According to Clark, if the Pelicans can’t work out an extension with Ingram, they “likely will trade him.” That aligns with previous reporting that Ingram is the “most likely” Pelican to be on the move this summer. Clark points to the Cavaliers and Hawks as teams that might be interested in the 26-year-old.

Clark wonders if New Orleans might be able to acquire Evan Mobley or Jarrett Allen from Cleveland for Ingram. I don’t see any world where the Cavs trade Mobley for Ingram, but Allen isn’t far-fetched. Still, Cleveland has its own upcoming financial squeeze, and adding Ingram would only further complicate that situation — Allen is owed far less money ($40MM) over the next two seasons.

The NBA draft lottery is today, but the Pelicans won’t be impacted by that drawing. They do, however, have until June 1 to decide whether they want to keep the No. 17 overall pick (via the Lakers) or instead acquire the Lakers’ unprotected 2025 first-round pick. As of now, Clark hears that New Orleans is inclined to defer the selection, though that isn’t set in stone.

If the Pels do keep the No. 17 pick, Clark says they would likely flip it in a trade. New Orleans also controls the No. 21 overall pick, and Clark is highly skeptical the team would actually keep two first-rounders on a roster that is trying to win right now.

Wendell Carter Jr. To Undergo Another Surgical Procedure On Left Hand

May 11th, 2024 at 5:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. will have an operation to stabilize the third metacarpal on his left hand, the team announced in a press release (via Twitter).

The preventive procedure involves inserting a plate at the site of a fracture on Carter’s hand. He suffered the fracture in early November and had it surgically repaired at the time.

Carter will be reevaluated in approximately four weeks, the team added. That should give him plenty of time for offseason workouts before training camps open in late September.

Although he missed more than a month with the original injury, Carter still appeared in 55 games, making 48 starts and averaging 11.0 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 25.6 minutes per night.

During exit interviews after the Magic were eliminated from the playoffs, Carter talked about the difficulty of trying to return after surgery, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel.

“It affected me in a lot of ways,” Carter said. “Mentally, being out of the rotation for a while, just watching from the sidelines while they’re doing such a fantastic job and then the pressure of coming back and picking up where Goga (Bitadze) and (Moritz Wagner) left off. It was tough. Then it got to a point where I was doubting myself a little bit — just being honest.”

Carter, 25, has two years remaining on his contract. He will earn $11.95MM next season and $10.85MM in 2025/26 before becoming an unrestricted free agent that summer.

Lakers Eyeing Nori, Adelman, Sweeney, Quinn In Coaching Search

May 11th, 2024 at 3:52pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers, who are in the process of searching for a new head coach, have interest in a handful of veteran assistant coaches around the NBA, Jovan Buha of The Athletic stated within a mailbag video (YouTube link; hat tip to Lakers Nation).

According to Buha, Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, Nuggets assistant David Adelman, Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney, and Heat assistant Chris Quinn are among the head coaching candidates that intrigue the Lakers.

Nori has been with the Timberwolves since 2021, having previously served as an assistant in Detroit, Denver, Sacramento, and Toronto. Adelman, who has been an assistant under Michael Malone in Denver since 2017, was on the Wolves’ staff from 2011-15 and was with the Magic in 2016/17. Sweeney’s stint with the Mavericks, which began in 2021, was preceded by assistant jobs in Detroit, Milwaukee, and Brooklyn. Quinn has been on Erik Spoelstra‘s staff in Miami since 2014.

“To my knowledge, the Lakers are not at the stage of interviewing coaches yet, but that will be happening soon,” Buha said. “It’s a little tricky timing-wise because you have Adelman, Nori, and Sweeney all in playoff series right now. You have J.J. Redick who is on the top broadcast team at ESPN and is supposed to be calling the Finals, which would be about a week or so before the draft.

“So it’s going to be interesting to see how the Lakers end up doing their interviews and just the timing of it and if they request certain guys while they’re still in the playoffs, how that process works with the teams.”

As Buha observes, the logistics may be especially challenging with Nori, who is essentially functioning as a co-head coach for the Timberwolves in their series vs. Denver due to the knee injury that has affected Chris Finch‘s ability to occupy his usual spot on the sidelines. For what it’s worth, it doesn’t sound like the Lakers are in a rush to make a hire within the next week or two, so if Nori is one of their top choices, they could be willing to wait for him.

“From what I’ve been told, the Lakers’ plan is to have a coach in place by the NBA draft, which is June 26,” Buha said.

According to Buha, Tyronn Lue is probably the Lakers’ top choice, but there has still been no indication that the Clippers‘ head coach will become available this offseason. Redick, Kenny Atkinson, and James Borrego have also been mentioned as possibilities for the Lakers; Charles Lee and Mike Budenholzer were too, but they’ve since taken head coaching jobs with other teams.

Appearing on ESPN’s NBA Countdown on Saturday (Twitter video link), Adrian Wojnarowski described Redick as a candidate that the Lakers have been “drilling down on” in their initial research. Woj adds that L.A.’s search is expected to be “wide-ranging” and “lengthy.”